The International Cricket Council (ICC) has moved the Under 19 World Cup to South Africa from Sri Lanka.
The ICC board also decided that the Sri Lanka team will continue to play international cricket despite the suspension of SLC. The game will be run through the suspended SLC, which will receive controlled funding.
SLC Chief Shammi Silva is of the opinion that the confusion could have been avoided but said cricket in the country will remain uninterrupted.
This was decided at the discussion at the meeting of ICC Board Directors held in Ahmedabad yesterday.
“I have requested the ICC board to allow the game to continue and the members have upheld our request, ” added SLC chief. He also confirmed that Sri Lanka Under-19 team will take part in the U-19 World Cup in South Africa.
The decision has been taken by the ICC board in view of the administrative uncertainty in Sri Lanka Cricket.
After a detailed deliberations, the board has decided to uphold the November 10 decision to suspend the SLC. The ICC Directors board said that cricket in the island nation will continue uninterrupted, the suspension, however, will not be overturned.
“It was a unanimous decision by the board that the suspension cannot be lifted. Cricket in the country will continue as normal. The SLC Chief Sammi Silva, the ousted president of the SLC, has attended the board meeting while SLC CEO Ashley de Silva also was there at ICC invitees.
Meanwhile, the Under-19 World Cup was scheduled to take place between January 14 and February 15. The dates will clash with the second edition of SA-20, which runs from January 10 to February 10 but a top Cricket South Africa (CSA) senior official told that both events can be conducted simultaneously as the T20 league is being overseen autonomously by a body independent of CSA.
The option of holding the event in Oman and UAE were also considered, but South Africa was preferred because of their infrastructure: the requirement was three grounds, and Oman only has one. Furthermore, moving the teams between UAE and Oman would have been an expensive proposition and the Board finally decided on South Africa. CSA has agreed to spare three venues for the mutli-nation championship which is good platform for under 19 cricketers.
Sri Lanka hosted ICC under 19 world cup in year 2000 where Sri Lanka became runners up losing to India in the final and once again Sri Lanka hosted this event in 2006 and this would have been the third time if they got the nod from ICC.
Dhammika Ratnaweera