ICC Suspends Membership Of Sri Lanka Cricket With Immediate Effect

In a significant development, on 10th November 2023, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken the strict decision to suspend the ICC membership of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with immediate effect.

Why was Sri Lanka cricket suspended?

• On the night of 10 November 2023, the International Cricket Council said in an official statement that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) did not follow its rules as a member.
• The SLC did not handle its affairs independently and without government interference, breaking its obligations. That is, there was government interference in the functioning of SLC and it was not able to function independently.
• It has been alleged that Sri Lanka Cricket was in serious breach of its obligations as a member of the ICC.
• In particular, the need for the SLC to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there was no government interference in the governance, regulation and/or administration of cricket in Sri Lanka.

SLC's suspension details will addressed in upcoming ICC board meeting

• In its release, the ICC left the specifics of the suspension to be determined at the upcoming ICC Board meeting.
• The ICC Board meeting is scheduled to take place on November 21, where the future course of action and the terms of Sri Lanka's suspension are expected to be clarified.

SLC's performance in ODI World Cup 2023:

• The ICC decision has come at a challenging time for the Sri Lankan men's cricket team, as SLC has struggled in the ODI World Cup 2023, winning only two of its nine league matches.
• Their current position of 8th in the SLC points table highlights a challenging campaign with only a handful of matches (three matches) remaining in the league stage.
• This suspension is a major blow to Sri Lankan cricket and raises questions about the possible impact on their participation in international cricket events.
• The cricket community is awaiting further details following the ICC Board meeting to gain a comprehensive understanding of the implications and circumstances surrounding the suspension.

International Cricket Council (ICC):

• Founded: 1909 (formed as the "Imperial Cricket Conference" by representatives of England, Australia and South Africa).
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• In 1965 its name was changed to "International Cricket Conference".
• It was eventually renamed "International Cricket Council" (ICC) in 1989.
• Chairman: Greg Barclay
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Geoff Allardyce

ICC members:

• It has three types of membership:
• Full Members: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are a total of 12 full members.
• Associate Members: There are 39 Associate Member countries where cricket is strongly established and organized but have not yet been granted full membership.
• Affiliated Members: There are 56 Affiliated Member countries where the ICC recognizes that cricket is played in accordance with the Laws of Cricket.

Functions of ICC:

• It is responsible for organizing major international cricket tournaments, the main one being the "Cricket World Cup".
• It employs all umpires and referees, who are responsible for the successful conduct of all Test matches, One Day International and Twenty20 International tournaments.
• It deals with the code of conduct for cricket as well as professional standards of discipline, action against corruption and match-fixing. But the thing to note is that there is no legal rule regarding domestic cricket competitions held in ICC member countries.
• It keeps track of cricket playing conditions, bowling action review and other ICC rules. However, the ICC does not have copyright laws relating to the game. 
• These copyrights are held by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and it has the right to make changes to the Laws of Cricket, although 'MCC' is required to seek the advice of the ICC for any changes to the Laws.

ICC's sources of income:

• The ICC's main source of income is the organization of tournaments (primarily the Cricket World Cup). 
• The ICC distributes a large portion of its income among its member countries.
• Other sources of income include ICC membership and sponsorship income and investment income.

ICC's revenue model:

• ICC's revenue cycle-2015-2023 is estimated to be around US$2.5 billion of which BCCI will get around 23% while England and Australia will get around 6% to 10%. 
• Further the surplus of dues is distributed to all the associate members.