Sri Lankan Cricket’s membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been suspended with immediate effect after the global sporting body found a “serious breach” with regards to political interference in the sport.
A statement released by the ICC said “Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations as a Member”.
The global body went on to highlight its concern regarding “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”.
Sri Lankan Cricket has been in crisis for years, but this has been acutely worsened this month after the team’s dismal showing in the Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka has already been knocked out winning just two games and losing seven.
The sport has been maligned by accusations of political interference for years, whilst also continuing to maintain close links to the war crimes accused military.
It is not just cricket. Earlier this year, FIFA suspended Sri Lanka following "undue interference by a third party" during an election conducted by the federation. The ban was eventually lifted in August, though FIFA said it would continue to monitor events within Sri Lankan football closely.
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