Explained: Why ICC stripped Sri Lanka of 2027 Women’s Champions Trophy hosting rights

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has withdrawn Sri Lanka’s hosting rights for the first ever Women’s Champions Trophy, scheduled for 2027, over concerns of government involvement in the running of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).Six teams including the host nation were expected to participate in the tournament, but the change could also affect Sri Lanka’s place in the competition.Sri Lanka has been selected to host the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy, but the ICC is now expected to move the event to another country. The new venue has not yet been decided and could be discussed at the next ICC board meeting.Prakash Shafter, secretary of the SLC transformation committee, confirmed the change and said: “Yes, it has been shifted from Sri Lanka. It will be played at a different venue but I am not sure yet where it will be played.”The decision could also cause a financial setback for Sri Lanka Cricket. More importantly, the Sri Lankan women’s team could lose their automatic place in the tournament. The event was planned to include the top five teams along with the host country. Sri Lanka is currently ranked sixth.

The ICC wants an elected cricket administration

Cricket in Sri Lanka is currently governed by a Government-appointed Transformation Committee. The committee was created to oversee the reforms, including changes to the board composition and governance system.However, the ICC did not recognize the politically appointed interim administration. “The ICC does not recognize politically appointed interim administrations and has refused to allow SLC representatives to attend ICC board meetings since the Transition Committee took over,” the report said.In July, the ICC said: “The ICC Committee received an update on cricket in Sri Lanka and noted progress towards a revised constitution.“It reiterated the need for elections to be held as soon as possible and agreed that Sri Lanka Cricket would not be able to be represented in the ICC Council meetings for the time being.”The proposed constitutional changes have yet to complete the legal process before reaching parliament, meaning it may take some time for Sri Lanka to return to elected rule.The ICC took similar action in 2023 when Sri Lanka lost the rights to host the 2024 Under-19 World Cup after its elected cricket administration was dissolved and replaced by an interim committee.