- Sri Lanka will appeal ICC suspension, sports minister says

Sri Lanka’s sports minister, Roshan Ranasinghe, announced on Saturday that the country will appeal its suspension from the International Cricket Council (ICC) following the national team’s poor performance in the World Cup. The ICC suspended Sri Lanka Cricket’s membership with immediate effect, citing government interference in the sport. In response, Sri Lanka’s ministry of sport dismissed the SLC board and replaced it with an interim committee, but the move has been put on hold by the country’s Court of Appeal. The parliament in Colombo also unanimously adopted a proposal to remove the SLC leadership. Ranasinghe denied political interference and criticized the ICC for not following proper procedures in imposing the ban. SLC officials denied corruption allegations and expressed their intention to work with Ranasinghe to lift the suspension. Sri Lanka won only two out of nine games in the World Cup and currently sits ninth in the standings, effectively eliminating them from the competition. Following the resignation of SLC secretary Mohan de Silva and the sacking of the board, Ranasinghe appointed an interim committee chaired by former captain Arjuna Ranatunga. However, the ousted SLC President Shammi Silva has obtained a two-week stay order from the court. The article was reported by Uditha Jayasinghe and edited by Hugh Lawson. The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles apply.