by: TN Media News Riyadh:
Sri Lanka has also been deprived of hosting the Under-19 Cricket World Cup after the ICC suspended its membership. It should be noted that Sri Lanka’s membership was suspended by the ICC on November 10 after alleged government interference in the affairs of the Sri Lankan Cricket Board.
According to the French news agency AFP, the ICC board said after the meeting held in Ahmedabad, India on Tuesday that “this tournament will now be held in South Africa instead of Sri Lanka.”
The Under-19 World Cup is to be held from January 13 to February 4 next year, in which teams from 16 countries will participate.
The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has claimed that after losing the tournament, Sri Lanka will also lose a $2.4 million grant from the ICC to improve various stadiums.
On the 10th of this month, the ICC announced the suspension of Sri Lanka’s membership, saying that “the Sri Lankan board has failed to prevent government interference in its affairs.”
Although Sri Lanka can compete at the international level, the ICC will now control the funds received by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board.
The ICC suspended Sri Lanka’s membership after the Sri Lankan Parliament asked the cricket board to resign after sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe was accused of embezzling millions of dollars.
On the other hand, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has termed the ICC’s decision to withdraw the hosting of the Under-19 tournament as a ‘big blow’ for the young players and said that it will also cause a huge financial loss to the country.
