New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended the membership of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the governing body of cricket in the island nation, with immediate effect. The ICC Board met on Friday, November 10, 2023. It determined that SLC is in serious breach of its obligations as a member, especially a requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government interference in the governance, regulation, and/or administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.
The suspension came after the Sri Lanka government had sacked the SLC following the team’s disastrous performance at the World Cup, where it lost seven of the nine games. The government appointed an interim committee to run the affairs of the SLC, which was challenged by the ousted board in the Court of Appeal. The court stayed the sacking of the board, but the government did not comply with the order and continued to interfere in cricket matters.
The ICC said that the ICC Board will decide the conditions of the suspension in due course. The suspension means that the SLC will lose its voting rights and funding from the ICC, and its teams will not be able to participate in ICC events unless it is lifted. The ICC also said that it will work with the stakeholders in Sri Lanka to resolve the situation and restore the normal functioning of SLC as soon as possible.
