NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe has sacked the entire staff of the National Cricket Board following a dismal 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup campaign and has appointed an interim committee led by Arjuna Ranatunga.

The 1996 World Cup-winning captain Ranatunga will be joined by three retired judges in the seven-member interim committee.

This decision to sack the cricket board followed the resignation of the board's secretary, Mohan de Silva, who stepped down on Saturday as fans protested in front of its headquarters.

The Sports Minister has appointed an interim committee until the upcoming Sri Lanka Cricket election or until further notice, exercising powers granted under Section 33 of the Sports Act No. 25 of 1973, according to Daily Mirror report.

The interim committee is tasked with conducting a formal investigation into the alleged irregularities of the SLC board and submitting a comprehensive report on legal principles, the report said.

Furthermore, the committee is empowered to propose relevant recommendations and develop procedures to prevent the recurrence of corruption, misconduct and irregularities within the Sri Lanka Cricket Board.

Sri Lanka have lost five out of their seven matches in the round-robin league stage and are out of the semifinal race.

The 1996 champions will be hoping to end their campaign in top eight in order to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan.