Sri Lanka Cricket Faces Suspension: Unraveling the Crisis for 1996 World Cup Winners

Sri Lanka Cricket breached its obligations as a member, particularly the need to manage its affairs autonomously and prevent government interference, leading to a suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The men’s team’s disappointing performance in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023, with only 2 wins from 9 matches, raised concerns. This comes after a crushing defeat in the Asia Cup 2023 final against India. The ICC cited government interference as the reason for the suspension, with the sports minister sacking the national cricket board due to the team’s poor performance. The political infighting within the board, led by Shammi Silva, has also affected the team’s performance. In addition to the suspension, Sri Lanka risks losing a spot in the Champions Trophy 2025, currently placed at the ninth position. However, a chance for redemption exists if seventh-placed England and eighth-placed Bangladesh lose their respective matches, allowing Sri Lanka to claim the eighth spot based on a superior Net Run Rate (NRR). Sri Lanka Cricket becomes the second Full Member of the ICC to face suspension in the last four years, following Zimbabwe in 2019. Despite the suspension, Sri Lanka is scheduled to host the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup in January and February next year.