Sri Lanka suspended by International Cricket Council over 'government interference'

News follows disappointing World Cup campaign

Sri Lanka's Chamika Karunaratne after his dismissal against New Zealand. AFP

Sri Lanka’s membership of the International Cricket Council has been suspended with immediate effect, the governing body announced on Friday.

The decision comes in the wake of government interference in Sri Lanka Cricket’s administration.

“The International Cricket Council board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership of the ICC with immediate effect,” a statement from the ICC read.

“The ICC board met today and determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations as a member, in particular 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.”

Sri Lanka won just two of their nine matches at the Cricket World Cup in India and currently sit second bottom of the table, with other fixtures still left to be played, so look unlikely to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

The ICC board is set to meet again on November 21, when it is expected the next steps of the suspension process will be confirmed.

Sri Lanka are set to host the Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup at the start of 2024, with a three-Test tour of England scheduled for August.