Sri Lanka Cricket suspended by ICC board due to suspected government interference

Earlier this week, Sri Lanka’s sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe announced his decision to sack the Sri Lanka Cricket board and install an interim, government-appointed committee. However, this was later overturned by Sri Lanka's court of appeal

The International Cricket Council board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket's ICC membership with immediate effect.

The board met on November 10 to discuss what it described as "government interference" in the running of cricket in the country.

"The International Cricket Council (ICC) board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket's membership of the ICC with immediate effect," a statement read.

^{Sri Lanka were bowled out for 55 by India during their underwhelming World Cup campaign [Punit Paranjpe/Getty Images]}

^{Sri Lanka's sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe [Ishara S Kodikara/Getty Images]}

"The ICC board met today (November 10) and determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligation 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."

Earlier this week, Sri Lanka's sports minister, Roshan Ranasinghe, announced his decision to sack the Sri Lanka Cricket board and install an interim, government-appointed committee led by former captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

However, the board was soon reinstated by Sri Lanka's court of appeal.

Ranasinghe's actions have been fuelled by Sri Lanka's disappointing World Cup campaign, which included being bowled out for just 55 by India in Mumbai.

On November 9, they suffered a heavy five-wicket defeat against New Zealand to finish the tournament with two wins and seven defeats. They currently sit ninth but could yet finish bottom of the table if Netherlands defeat India in Bangalore on Sunday (November 12).

Subscribe to The Cricketer for exclusive content every day: The inside track on everything England - including leading coverage of England in India, award-winning analysis, breaking news and interviews and the only place for in-depth county coverage all year round. Plus: An ad-free app experience at your fingertips. Subscribe to thecricketer.com today for just £1.