Sri lanka (Commonwealth) _ Sri lanka’s Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe informed the media that Sri Lanka will appeal its ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC). This comes after the ICC suspended Sri Lanka Cricket, claiming “Government interference” in its activities.
Minister Ranasinghe stated that there is no political intervention in the administration of Sri Lankan cricket. He lamented that the ICC move had evidently been made without consultation with the government.
Several interim committees have been created in the past without the ICC taking any action. This is not the way to go. When the ICC or another authority imposes a ban, they must follow a lengthy procedure. But this came as a surprise, and it is unethical, according to Ranasinghe. “How can they condemn our country in this way?” he wondered. SLC officials who were restored following a Court judgment disputed charges of corruption and indicated that they would cooperate with the government to have the ICC ban reversed. A crisis occurred in Sri Lankan cricket after the men’s team won only two of their nine games in the World Cup 2023 in India, including a humiliating defeat to the host nation.
Following the resignation of SLC secretary Mohan de Silva and the board’s dismissal, Ranasinghe announced the formation of an interim committee helmed by World Cup-winning former captain Arjuna Ranatunga.
However, deposed SLC President Shammi Silva proceeded to court to challenge the dismissal and was given a two-week stay of proceedings, with a full hearing to follow. The ICC will decide the terms of the suspension, with the board scheduled to convene on November 21, after which the future course of action is anticipated to become apparent.
What is going on necessitates an explanation from the ICC. The ICC Board is made up of representatives from cricket bodies all around the world. One of them is Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s president, Shammi Silva, is a member of the ICC Board. The government has the authority to disband the governing body of any sport under Sri Lankan legislation. However, the ICC has already expressed reservations about this, dating back to 2014, when Sri Lanka’s government last constituted a committee.
The forensic audit of Sri Lanka Cricket done by the country’s auditor General discovered a number of financial irregularities within the country’s cricket governing organization. After the country’s cricket team suffered several losses, cricket fans questioned whether it was not the responsibility of law enforcement officers to take legal action against these individuals.
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How much longer can these authorities remain silent when the forensic audit exposes such widespread corruption?
What good are reports on corruption and fraud unless the perpetrators are apprehended? Why are these scammers not prosecuted since Si Lanka cricket represents the country as a whole? Some of the queries cricket fans had for their national regulators and law enforcement agencies were how the ICC is examining these allegations.
As a result, when Sri Lanka’s cricket team suffered embarrassing defeats during the ICC World Cup 2023, protesters marched to the Sri Lanka cricket headquarters and asked that all crooked officials step down gracefully and hand over someone capable of restoring Sri Lanka cricket’s glory and winning games against any country in the world.
Many people requested that former world cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranathunga lead the council because he is well-known for his excellent captaincy. Discipline and consistent practices were the two main factors under his supervision, thanks to which Sri Lanka cricket grew enormously and won the ICC championship in 1996.
Sri Lanka Cricket issued a statement on Wednesday refuting government charges that it botched preparations for the Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which is set to take place in January 2024. They issued a new statement on Thursday, disputing allegations that they transferred $2 million from their accounts to third-party accounts.
The ICC barred Zimbabwe from all forms of cricket in July 2019 due to concerns over government intervention in the game’s administration. The ban was lifted almost three months later after consultations with the country’s government and Zimbabwe Cricket. Sri Lanka will also visit England for a three-Test series next summer.
Sri Lanka lost seven games in nine matches, dropping them to the bottom two of the table and out of contention for the top-eight qualifying berths for the 2025 Champions Trophy, another ICC tournament.
