The all-powerful International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to make a decision on the ongoing issues within Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday. After suspending the Sri Lanka board due to alleged government interference, the ICC must now address the matter concerning the Under 19 World Cup scheduled to be played there in January 2024. The ICC Board meeting is taking place in Ahmedabad.
While the ICC deliberates on the matter, in Sri Lanka, a court has postponed the SLC case to November 22, a day after the Board meeting. The suspended SLC members secured a stay on the Gazette notification from the government, which dismissed the SLC and appointed an interim committee led by Arjuna Ranatunga to oversee cricket in Sri Lanka. Initially, the court stayed the implementation of the gazette notification for two weeks, and now on the government request, it has posted the matter for Wednesday.
Meanwhile, it has come to light that the ICC’s suspension of the SLC was initiated at the request of the SLC itself. In a series of letters, elected SLC chief Shammi Silva pleaded with the ICC to take action against the body.
In a letter written on November 9, Silva said, “We urgently request the ICC’s urgent intervention to safeguard interests of cricket in Sri Lanka. Your prompt attention and action on this matter are crucial to ensure the protection of the democratic process within SLC and the broader principle upheld by the ICC and preserving the principles of cricket administration and protecting the reputation of the sport in our nation.”
Silva sought ICC action, stating that the country’s Parliament is engaged in a debate which is centred around the autonomy of the SLC and it has been orchestrated by Sports Minister Roshan Ranasingh. Silva also claimed a threat to the homes and families of the elected members of the SLC, adding that the minister was attempting to take funds of the SLC for purposes unrelated to cricket.
The letter was addressed to Greg Barclay, the Chair of ICC, with copies marked to other members of the Board, including Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah. Following this letter, preceded by two earlier letters, the ICC decided to suspend the SLC on November 10.
Upon suspending the SLC, the ICC stated, “The ICC Board met today and determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations as a Member, particularly 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 Board in due course.”
The ICC had not taken similar actions in cases of government interference with Cricket South Africa, Pakistan Cricket Board, and even the Afghanistan Cricket Board. However, an ICC official mentioned that the world body can take action only when there is a complaint from the member. As reported earlier, the ICC has granted Silva permission to attend Tuesday’s Board meeting.
