11 November 2023 06:06 pm
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva said assurances would be required from the highest offices of the country that there would be no further political interference in SLC’s administration, if it is to have its suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC) lifted.
The ICC on Friday suspended the country’s membership, on the basis of seriously breaching its obligation as a member, in being unable to ensure there was no government interference in the governance of the sport in Sri Lanka.
The ICC Board, which ratified SLC’s suspension, will meet again on November 21, with Silva scheduled to take part in it.
He said he would only be able to lobby for a lifting of the suspension, if there were assurances from the President that there would be political interference.
“Political interference has to be stopped. I am asking the President (Ranil Wickremesinghe). The President needs to intervene. Even in Parliament he said that this might happen,” Silva said.
“We have to get assurance from the top level of government that there will be no interference. We then have to go to the ICC, and appeal,” Silva said.
Silva also claimed that SLC stands to lose approximately US$ 50 million due to the ICC’s suspension.
SLC is to receive around US $ 17 million, as tournament hosting fees and operational costs for the Under 19 Cricket World Cup, which Sri Lanka could lose the rights to as a result of this ban.
“ICC officials who were in the island as part of the preparations for the Under 19 World Cup, and were expected to leave next Friday, informed us that they were leaving this morning,” Silva said.
“Maybe they were asked to leave the country by the ICC, as a result of this ban,” he added.
SLC could also suffer a longer term financial loss of between US $ 27-30 million from its share of the ICC distribution fund, with a decision on if and how much Sri Lanka will receive likely to made at the next ICC Board Meeting on November 21.