Suspension of Sri Lankan Domestic Cricket Tournaments

suppruser September 4, 2023September 4, 2023 0 Comments Domestic Cricket Tournaments, Sri Lankan, Suspension

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to pause all of its own cricket tournaments as of Friday, September 1. The reason behind this decision is a dispute over how these tournaments should be conducted. SLC had made some changes to the tournament format, but they require approval from Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, which they have not yet received.

Suspension of Sri Lankan Domestic Cricket Tournaments

In their announcement, SLC stated, “Sri Lanka Cricket has chosen to halt all tournaments that are overseen by the board.” This suspension includes ongoing tournaments like the Major Club 3-Day Tournament and the Invitational Club Tier ‘B’ 3-Day Tournament.

In 2022, SLC introduced a new tournament structure based on a recommendation from a group led by former captain Arvinda de Silva. This new format involved two groups with 13 teams each playing three-day matches over a season. At the end of the first two seasons, the two weakest teams from each group would be relegated, with three more teams dropping down in the third year. This would leave 15 teams in the top tournament, while the relegated teams would compete in a limited-overs tournament called the Governor’s Cup.

However, after the 2022 season, SLC reverted to the old tournament format because some of the relegated teams were unhappy with the new system. Returning to the previous format required approval from the sports minister due to the rule changes involved, and Gesto Sports Club raised objections to SLC’s decision.

The official statement from SLC explained, “As a result, Sri Lanka Cricket has no choice but to suspend all domestic cricket tournaments organized by SLC until the matter is clarified.” At this moment, it remains uncertain when or if the domestic tournaments will resume.