The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has demanded President Ranil Wickremesinghe's assurance to ensure that there would not be any political interference in the country's cricket-related matters.
SLC, the sport's governing body in the island nation, sought the President's assurance before approaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) to request the global governing body of cricket to lift the suspension it imposed.
The request from the head of SLC came on Saturday, hours after the Sports Minister also vowed to appeal to the ICC against suspension which he claimed was illegal.
On Saturday, SLC Chairman Shammi Silva told the media that he is planning to meet the ICC on November 21 but he needs assurance from the political front.
He also warned that there is a danger of losing at least $50 million if the ICC ban is not lifted.
He also cautioned that the ban would affect the chances of hosting the U19 Cricket World Cup in January and the ICC Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Sri Lanka next year. Silva said that plans were also underway to co-host the T20 World Cup in 2026 together with India.
"The ICC needs a certain level of assurance that the government of Sri Lanka would support these endeavours," the SLC chairman said.
"They don't have that confidence anymore. The AGM has already been cancelled, and I don’t know what will happen to the U19 World Cup," Shammi Silva added.
If the U19 tournament is cancelled, financially burdened Sri
Lanka is also to lose another $2.4 million ICC grant to develop local venues, SLC officials said.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe on Saturday said he would appeal to the ICC's Dispute Resolution Committee as it was illegal and acted maliciously without giving an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Minister Ranasinghe reiterated that if he fails to get redress from the ICC's DRC, he would go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
Supported by the Sports Minister and both the government and opposition, Sri Lankan lawmakers on Thursday sacked the top officials of the island nation's Cricket Board, claiming it was extremely corrupt and siphoning funds.
The 225-member Parliament, in a resolution, removed the cricket board, a day after it obtained an order from court to suspend Minister's appointment of an Interim Committee to run the affairs of the cricket's governing body.
Sr Men’s Nationals: J & K, Chattisgarh in Division C; Chandigarh, Uttarakhand in Division B secure victories on day 4
Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh Hockey and Hockey Association of Bihar enjoyed victories in Division C while Hockey Chandigarh and Hockey Uttarakhand won in Division B on the fourth day of the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2025 in Jhansi.
Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning side gave birth to T20 cricket, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he believes Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning side with their aggressive and unique style of batting gave birth to T20 cricket.
IPL 2025: There is a trust factor of relying on each other, says Kohli on bond with Rohit
Talismanic batter Virat Kohli spoke about his bond with his long-time teammate and India skipper Rohit Sharma, saying that there’s always been a trust factor between them as they have relied on each other to do the job of winning matches for the team.
Rohit-Kohli to retain A+ BCCI contracts, Iyer to return but Kishan may remain out: Sources
Indian batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are all set to retain their A+ grade contract, which is worth Rs 7 crore in the BCCI's annual player contracts.
Champions Trophy: Spinners, Rohit and Rahul carry unbeaten India to third title win
India's spinners called the shots majorly to pick five wickets collectively on a sluggish pitch, while captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 76 and KL Rahul stayed calm to hit an unbeaten 34 to give the Men in Blue their third Champions Trophy triumph with a four-wicket win over New Zealand here on Sunday.
Champions Trophy: Kane Williamson to not field in India's chase after picking quad strain
New Zealand’s premier batter Kane Williamson will not be fielding in India's chase of 252 in the ongoing ICC 2025 Champions Trophy final after suffering a quad strain while batting in the first innings at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Champions Trophy: Spinners pick five wickets as India restrict New Zealand to 251/7
India’s spinners called the shots yet again on a slow pitch with just two degrees of turn as they restricted New Zealand to 251/7 in their 50 overs in the 2025 Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Champions Trophy: Rachin Ravindra becomes leading run-getter in tournament
New Zealand in-form batter Rachin Ravindra became the leading run-getter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 during the final against India at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.