The CEO of the International Cricket Council, Geoff Allardice, recently travelled to Sri Lanka to meet with important members of the government in an attempt to resolve the complex political issues surrounding the country’s cricket administration. The ICC canceled Sri Lanka Cricket’s hosting rights for the Men’s Under-19 World Cup in November and suspended the cricket team’s membership, prompting this diplomatic action.
Geoff Allardice met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sri Lanka’s new minister of sports, Harin Fernando.
The goal was very clear: to reach a compromise and open the door to a decision over Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) membership status. Perceived intervention by the government, especially when the former minister of sports tried to fire the whole SLC board, led to the suspension.
After the meeting, Minister Fernando went to X and said that they had a fruitful conversation and a plan of action for SLC. Possible constitutional amendments for SLC were discussed with President Wickremesinghe during the negotiations.
The ICC board will hear Geoff Allardice conclusions during their next meeting at the end of March. With the political climate in Sri Lanka having improved, the board will discuss SLC’s membership, hopefully with a favorable conclusion.
This is the second such visit by an ICC executive to Sri Lanka. Imran Khwaja, the ICC deputy chair, looked into possible government intervention in the middle of 2023 but couldn’t find any imminent justification for suspension. There is now hope in board circles that Sri Lanka will be restored as a full member at the upcoming board meeting due to a more favorable political environment and a minister who supports SLC’s objectives.
Going forward, it will be interesting to watch how Sri Lankan cricket handles these difficult times. Sri Lanka’s position on the cricket globe means that it is imperative that the game flourish there for the benefit of the cricket community worldwide. The cricket community eagerly awaits the outcome of these diplomatic efforts, which might mean an end to the suspension controversy and a return to regular operations for Sri Lanka Cricket.
India
