Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva has warned that the country could lose out on hosting the men’s Under-19 World Cup in January and February if the ICC’s suspension of SLC was not lifted. He also said the ICC wanted to suspend Sri Lanka back in July, but he prevented it.
However, the ICC has not yet made a decision on the U-19 World Cup and will discuss the hosting of that tournament only at the next board meeting on November 21. It is learned that there was also no discussion within the ICC of suspending SLC in July, stated the ESPN Cricinfo.
According to Silva, ICC deputy chairman Imran Khwaja had taken special interest in potential political interference in Sri Lanka. “About five months ago, the ICC came here when there was news of political interference, and held an inquiry,” Silva said. “Mr. Imran Khwaja met the minister and the president (of Sri Lanka), and told them the ICC would be taking it seriously if you don’t properly control this. This [the suspension] is not something that happening in one or two days.
“Khwaja came on May 10. I later went to an ICC meeting from July 10 to 14. In their report, it says that Sri Lanka Cricket is being totally politically abused. Then they told me we have a few options: either we ban Sri Lanka, stop the cricket in Sri Lanka, or stop the money to Sri Lanka. I told them not to do that. So actually we were going to be suspended between July 10 and 14, and we [SLC officials] prevented it.
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