- By Vishal Pushkar
- Tue, 21 Nov 2023 05:30 PM (IST)
- Source:PTI
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board announced on Tuesday its decision to relocate the upcoming men's Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa. This move comes just 11 days after the ICC provisionally suspended Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) due to government interference in the cricket administration in the island nation.
Interestingly, it was the SLC itself that reached out to the ICC, informing them about the ongoing government interference in the management of cricket within the country. The dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket and the Sports Ministry has been a contentious issue, with both entities locked in a prolonged conflict. The government has leveled accusations against SLC officials, citing their involvement in corruption and mismanagement, leading to a strained relationship between the cricket board and the authorities.
"The U19 World Cup has been shifted to South Africa from Sri Lanka due to SLC's suspension. In fact, participating nations were apprised some days back after SLC got suspended. South Africa hosted the U19 WC in 2020. The decision got approval at ICC Board meeting in Ahmedabad," an ICC Board member was quoted as saying by PTI.
"Sri Lanka's bilateral and domestic cricket will not be affected by this."
SLC president Shammi Silva had recently warned that the country could lose the hosting rights of the U19 World Cup, scheduled to be held from January 13 to February 4, if the government's interference continued.
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In a statement released on Monday, SLC had said," While SLC focuses on resolving the suspension issue, it appears that the minister of sports is pursuing a different agenda through media manipulation without pursuing legal avenues to address the allegations."
"This raises concerns about its intention to influence public opinion and other stakeholders to achieve its objective of taking control of SLC through the misuse of his powers.
"SLC calls for a fair and unbiased examination of the facts and remains focused on its mission to uphold the integrity of cricket in Sri Lanka and is confident that the truth will prevail in due course.
Inputs from PTI