The International Cricket Council Board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership of the ICC with immediate effect.
The ICC Board met on Friday and determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations as a member and, 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”.
The conditions of the suspension will be decided by the ICC, with the board set to meet on November 21, after which the future course of action is expected to become clearer.
Sri Lanka are due to host the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, starting in January 2024.
Sri Lanka are also scheduled to tour England next summer for a three-Test series.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sri Lanka’s World Cup ends with a five-wicket defeat to New Zealand which all but assured the Black Caps of a semi-final spot
Sri Lanka’s World Cup ends with a whimper
Sri Lanka have been participating at the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, but they lost their final group game to New Zealand by five wickets on Wednesday, placing them ninth in the table after only two wins in nine.
Barring heavy defeats for either England, against Pakistan, or for Bangladesh against Australia – both games being played on Saturday – Sri Lanka are likely to stay in the bottom two of the table and outside of the top-eight qualification spots for the 2025 Champions Trophy, another ICC event.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights as England suffer an eight-wicket hammering at the hands of Sri Lanka in Bangalore.
Sri Lanka’s two wins in the tournament came against the Netherlands and defending champions England, as Jos Buttler’s side suffered a shock eight-wicket defeat in Bangalore after being bowled out for 156.
In a later defeat to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews suffered the dubious honour of becoming the first player to be timed out in international cricket when Shakib-Al-Hasan appealed that he was not ready to face his first delivery within the required two minutes after coming out to bat.
Mathews, who put the delay down to a strap on his helmet being broken, branded Shakib’s actions as “disgraceful” and accused the Bangladesh captain and his team of bringing the game into disrepute.
