• The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership after observing government interference in the national board.

• Earlier this week, the Sri Lankan Parliament had passed a resolution, calling for the sacking of the country’s cricket governing body, with both the ruling and opposition parties supporting it.

• The resolution passed by Sri Lankan parliament amounted to government interference and that was enough ground for the ICC Board to suspend Sri Lanka’s membership.

• The ICC Board determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations 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.

• Sri Lanka is scheduled to host the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup across January and February 2024. 

• In July 2019, the ICC suspended Zimbabwe over concerns of government interference in the running of the game. However, the ban was lifted after three months.

• Nepal was also reinstated by the ICC after being suspended in 2016.

International Cricket Council (ICC)

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global governing body for cricket. 

• Representing 108 member nations, the ICC governs and administrates the game and works with its members to grow the sport. 

• The ICC is responsible for the staging of all ICC events.

• The ICC presides over the ICC Code of Conduct, playing conditions, the Decision Review System and other ICC regulations. 

• It also appoints all match officials that officiate at all sanctioned international matches.

• Through the Anti-Corruption Unit it coordinates action against corruption and match fixing.

• It was founded on June 15, 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference, at Lord’s under the chairmanship of the MCC president, the Earl of Chesterfield. England, South Africa and Australia were its founding members.

• In the late 1920s, regular meetings took place and ICC began to emerge as an organisation. Even then it was still very much an adjunct of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Its chairman was always the MCC president, and the MCC secretary performed the same function for ICC.

• When the Imperial Cricket Conference met in England in 1926, it permitted three new Test playing nations — West Indies, New Zealand and India. 

• India played its first Test match against England on June 25, 1932

• In July 1965, the ICC changed its name to International Cricket Conference.

• The change of name to International Cricket Council came in 1989.

• By 1993, the administrative link with MCC was broken. 

• In August 2005, ICC left its base at Lord’s to set up its new headquarters in Dubai.

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