International Cricket Council : “Sri Lanka Cricket ban lifted.”

SLC was suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in November 2023 as a result of a political slugfest in Sri Lanka following the introduction of an interim committee led by Arjun Ranatunga by Sri Lanka Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe. Following a crushing defeat to India in the Cricket World Cup and an otherwise disappointing tournament—they won just two out of nine matches and missed out on a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025—the ICC also suspended the entire SLC board.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was suspended for violating its ICC Member responsibilities, specifically “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 action occurred after Sri Lanka’s auditor general released a thorough 112-page report accusing the board of bad governance, corruption, and mismanagement of cash. Following the investigation, the Sri Lankan board, led by President Shammi Silva, was ousted during the World Cup in 2023. An appeal in court resulted in the board being briefly restored and then fired shortly after before resuming responsibilities.

While the Sri Lankan board was in upheaval, the ICC board convened on November 21 and agreed to relocate the Under-19 World Cup 2024 to South Africa, rather than Sri Lanka, which was initially scheduled to host the tournament.

Fernando’s predecessor, Roshan Ranasinghe, created an interim committee to manage Sri Lanka Cricket after dismissing the elected board, against the ICC’s concerns.

Ranasinghe accused officeholders of massive corruption, which they have denied and are contesting in court. President Ranil Wickremesinghe quickly intervened and fired Ranasinghe.

The ICC Board convened on November 21 and concluded that Sri Lanka can continue to participate globally in both bilateral and ICC competitions; however, the current U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, which was originally scheduled to be contested in Sri Lanka, has been shifted to South Africa.

The ICC Board has been monitoring the situation since the suspension and is now convinced that SLC is no longer in breach of its membership duties.

Sri Lanka was permitted to play international cricket after President Shammi Silva made a “fervent appeal” to members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) board to “carve out an exception” that allowed the country to play international cricket while being suspended.

“However, pursuant to SLC President Shammi Silvas’s fervent appen to the Members, the ICC Board has carved out an exception permitting Sri Lankans to compete internationally in bilateral and ICC events, despite the suspension,” SLC release stated.