ICC suspends Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership with IMMEDIATE effect! Check details here

SLC became the second Full Member board after Zimbabwe Cricket to get suspended by the ICC in the last four years due to government interference.

ICC suspends Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership with IMMEDIATE effect! Check details here

Sri Lanka Cricket team (Image via ESPNcricinfo)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket‘s membership with immediate effect. SLC became the second Full Member board after Zimbabwe Cricket to get suspended by the ICC in the last four years due to government interference.

The ICC revealed that Sri Lanka Cricket is in “serious” breach of its obligations as a Member of the apex board. The ICC believes the Sri Lanka Cricket Board is not able to manage its affairs anonymously without the interference of the government in the regulation and administration of cricket in the Island nation.

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As per a report published by Espencricinfo, the ICC officials decided to meet online on Friday and not wait for the quarterly meetings scheduled for November 18-21. The report further said that the ICC was concerned that the government was not only interfering with the cricket administration but also matters regarding the national team. The ICC has informed SLC about their decision and will take the next decision on November 21 during the board meeting.

ICC suspended Sri Lanka Cricket after sports minister appointed interim committee headed by Arjuna Ranatunga

The ICC’s shocking decision came a few days after Sri Lanka Cricket was sacked by sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe, who appointed an interim committee headed by Arjuna Ranatunga. Ranasinghe, after the Sri Lanka team was dismissed for 55 runs by India in the 2023 ODI World Cup, sent a letter to the Full Member boards and accused SLC of financial mismanagement and even gave an explosive statement saying Shammi Silva-led SLC committee would be in prison if the police inspected the matter.

Sri Lanka cricket ICC
Sri Lanka Cricket team (Image via ESPNcricinfo)

However, after the appointment of an interim committee, the court issued a 14-day stay order, preventing the committee from taking effect. The matter regarding SLC was extensively debated even in the parliamentary session.

Though at present the committee led by Shammi Silva is in power and not the interim committee, the ICC has never taken a decision to suspend the board despite such interim committees appointed by the government in the past in Sri Lanka, though it demoted the board to observer status at board meetings.

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