Sri Lanka to be banned from international cricket due to government interference in the country’s cricket board following their poor World Cup campaign… with next year’s Test tour of England in jeopardy
- The Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports has dismissed the board of the cricket authority
- It followed a poor World Cup in which they won only two of their nine matches
- Government interference in the cricket board of any country is against the ICC rules
England’s next Test summer was in jeopardy on Friday when cricket’s governing body threw Sri Lanka out of the World Cup, citing ‘political interference’.
Sri Lanka was suspended by the International Cricket Council for ‘seriously breaching its obligations as a member’ following their government’s decision earlier this week to dismiss the SLC board and install an interim committee to oversee the country’s cricket lead under the leadership of former captain Arjuna Ranatunga.
It followed Sri Lanka’s disappointing World Cup campaign under former England coach Chris Silverwood, in which they won just two of their nine matches and were bowled out by India for just 55, even though they defeated England by eight wickets.
The fallout, if the measure remains in place, will spread to England, who will host Sri Lanka for a three-Test series next summer after the earlier visit to the West Indies.
Those matches at Old Trafford, Lord’s and the Oval have seen greater than usual interest among the ticket-buying public following an epic Ashes last summer, but the ECB will wait to see how this dispute plays out before looking for alternative opposition.
Sri Lanka have been banned by the International Cricket Council due to government interference following their poor 50-over World Cup campaign in India
Sri Lanka won only two and lost seven of the nine matches at the tournament in India
The move has been taken at the insistence of the old Sri Lankan board, with the ICC continuing to recognize sacked SLC cricket president Shammi Silva and his colleagues.
But it is not exactly unusual for the Sri Lankan government to become involved in cricket matters, with a long history of political interference in the national sport.
And the ICC has opened itself up to accusations of double standards by allowing Afghanistan to participate in this year’s World Cup and tell one of its best stories by winning four matches even though their women’s team has been banned by the Taliban .
“The ICC Board of Directors met today and determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations as a member,” the ICC said in a statement.
“In particular, the requirement to manage affairs autonomously and to ensure that there is no government interference in the governance, regulation and/or management of cricket in Sri Lanka.
“The terms of the suspension will be determined by the ICC Board in due course.”
The ICC is also currently investigating France Cricket over allegations that they staged fake games to demonstrate their commitment to women’s cricket and secure funding.
It is the second time in four years that the ICC has suspended a ‘full member’ country following the decision to pull the plug on Zimbabwe Cricket in 2019, which led to a funding freeze and a halt to all cricket activities in the country .
The governing body is likely to take a much more cautious approach when it comes to Sri Lanka and the next steps will be determined at an ICC board meeting in Ahmedabad after next week’s World Cup final.
Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign started with New Zealand hitting 428 against them and was followed by losses to Pakistan and Australia.
They recovered with a five-wicket win over the Netherlands and an emphatic eight-wicket win over England, who they bowled out for just 156.
Angelo Mathews on Monday became the first ever international cricketer to be given a timeout
Mathews’ helmet broke in chaotic conditions and he was unable to obtain a new one before his two-minute window was up. Bangladesh’s appeal was subsequently upheld by the umpires
However, a seven-wicket defeat to Afghanistan was followed by an embarrassing 302-run thrashing by hosts India, who bowled them out for just 55.
Losses to Bangladesh and New Zealand make them unlikely to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy by securing a top eight finish.
In the Bangladesh match, Angelo Mathews was given the dubious distinction of being the first player to be timed out in international cricket.
After Shakib-Al-Hasan appealed, he found out that he was not ready to face his first delivery within the required two minutes after going to bat due to a problem with his helmet.