The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board met in Ahmedabad. File
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
The ICC on Tuesday moved subsequent 12 months’s men’s U-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa, 11 days after the world governing physique provisionally suspended the island nation’s cricket board due to authorities interference.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board met in Ahmedabad and “confirmed the terms of the suspension” of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and likewise the shifting of the age-group showpiece.
“The U19 World Cup has been shifted to South Africa from Sri Lanka due to SLC’s suspension. In fact, participating nations were apprised some days back after SLC got suspended. South Africa hosted the U19 WC in 2020. The decision got approval at ICC Board meeting in Ahmedabad,” an ICC Board member instructed PTI.
“Sri Lanka’s bilateral and domestic cricket will not be affected by this.: It was, in fact, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that had reached out to the ICC and notified about the government interference in the running of the sport in the country after being knocked out in the league stage of the just-concluded World Cup following a forgettable outing.”
The SLC and the nation’s sports activities ministry have been at loggerheads for a while now. The authorities had accused SLC officers of being concerned in corruption and mismanagement.
In an announcement issued after its Board assembly, the ICC stated, “After hearing representation from SLC, the ICC Board decided that Sri Lanka can continue to compete internationally both in bilateral cricket and ICC events after being suspended recently for breaching its obligations as a Member in particular the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and without government interference.” However, funding to SLC might be managed by the ICC and the ICC Board.
SLC president Shammi Silva had just lately warned that the nation may lose the internet hosting rights of the U-19 World Cup, scheduled to be held from January 13 to February 4, if the federal government’s interference continued.
In an announcement launched on Monday, SLC had stated, “While SLC focuses on resolving the suspension issue, it appears that the minister of sports is pursuing a different agenda through media manipulation without pursuing legal avenues to address the allegations.” “This raises concerns about its intention to influence public opinion and other stakeholders to achieve its objective of taking control of SLC through the misuse of his powers.”
“SLC calls for a fair and unbiased examination of the facts and remains focused on its mission to uphold the integrity of cricket in Sri Lanka and is confident that the truth will prevail in due course.”
