ICC lifts ban on Sri Lanka Cricket

LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday lifted the ban on Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with immediate effect after a two-month suspension.

On 10 November 2023, the team was suspended for violation of responsibilities as an ICC Member, in particular, “the 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.”

In a statement issued today, the ICC said: “Its board met on 21 November and it was decided that Sri Lanka can continue to compete internationally both in bilateral cricket and ICC events, but the ongoing U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup was moved to South Africa, having initially been set to be played in Sri Lanka”.

The ICC Board has been monitoring the situation since the suspension and “are now satisfied that SLC are no longer in breach of membership obligations”.

It is pertinent to mention here that ICC banned Sri Lanka cricket just a day after their parliament asked the board to resign over allegations by sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe that it had syphoned off millions of dollars.

Sri Lanka’s sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe had sacked the national cricket board on November 6, days after a humiliating defeat by India at the World Cup.

Ranasinghe had been at loggerheads with board — the richest sports organisation on the financially stricken island — for months over allegations of widespread corruption.

Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal, however, restored the board very next day.

Ousted SLC President Shammi Silva petitioned the court against the dismissal and was granted a two-week stay order, with a full hearing to follow.