The ICC Board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket for the 1st time

The ICC Board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket, With the immediate effect due to substantial government interference in the administration of the board.

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The ICC Board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has promptly suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership, effective immediately. The decision comes following the board’s assessment that Sri Lanka Cricket is in significant violation of its obligations as a member. Specifically, there is a concern about the failure to autonomously manage its affairs and prevent government interference in the governance, regulation, and administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.

The immediate suspension is not anticipated to significantly impact Sri Lankan cricket. As Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign concluded on Thursday, and with no cricket activities scheduled in the country until December. Additionally, there is no disbursement of ICC funds to Sri Lanka Cricket until January.

Although the ICC’s quarterly meetings are slated for November 18-21 in Ahmedabad, the ICC board conducted an online meeting on Friday to discuss the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) situation. The discussions encompassed government interference across various aspects, including administration, finance, and issues pertaining to the national team. The ICC Board will determine the next course of action during its meeting on November 21.

On Wednesday, the Sri Lankan cricket board declared that it has initiated a defamation suit against Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Roshan Ranasinghe. The lawsuit was filed in response to what the board described as the minister’s “persistent and damaging defamatory statements” about the cricket board. In a statement released on November 15, the President, Vice President, and Treasurer of Sri Lanka Cricket jointly filed a defamation lawsuit against the minister in the District Court of Colombo. The suit seeks damages totaling 2.4 Billion Sri Lankan rupees on behalf of Sri Lanka Cricket.

Zimbabwe in 2019, Zimbabwe Cricket was suspended by the ICC over government interference.