Sri Lanka Cricket's ban lifted by Apex Council with immediate effect

The Apex Council, which banned Sri Lanka Cricket due to government intervention has been relieved. The board's suspension from the Apex Council membership has been removed. Since last November, after their ODI World Cup 2023 campaign with a ninth-placed finish, the board was suspended. This came after the team failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy 2025 as they needed a top-eight finish.

After the ban, SLC vice president said "As a Full Member, it is our right to go to the Council," SLC vice-president Ravin Wickramaratne told ESPNcricinfo*. "The government will have to give 100% assurance that there will be no interference. Otherwise, the suspension will mean that Sri Lanka can't play cricket. You saw what happened to Zimbabwe [in 2019, Zimbabwe Cricket had been suspended by the ICC over government interference]."

This also led to the ongoing U19 World Cup 2024 being moved from Sri Lanka to South Africa, a country that hosted the 2020 edition too. Meanwhile, with the T20 World Cup 2024 to be played in June this year, the ban has been lifted.

"the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government interference in the governance, regulation and/or administration of cricket in Sri Lanka," the Apex Council's rule says.

The Council Board said it had been monitoring the situation since the suspension and"are now satisfied that SLC are no longer in breach of membership obligations".