Sri Lanka Women’s Champions Trophy hosting rights have reportedly been withdrawn by the ICC amid concerns over political interference in cricket administration.
Sri Lanka Women’s Champions Trophy hosting rights for 2027 have reportedly been withdrawn by the International Cricket Council following changes to the administration of Sri Lanka Cricket.
The Sunday Times reports that the decision follows the Government’s appointment of an interim-style body to oversee Sri Lanka Cricket.
The ICC has taken the position that cricket governing bodies should remain free from political interference, according to the report.
Sri Lanka Cricket is currently operating under a Government-appointed “Transformation Committee.”
Prakash Shaffter, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee, has confirmed that the tournament will no longer be hosted in Sri Lanka.
He said the ICC is expected to decide on a replacement host country at an upcoming meeting.
The loss of the Sri Lanka Women’s Champions Trophy is also expected to carry financial consequences.
Sri Lanka Cricket could lose revenue associated with staging the tournament, while the tourism industry may also miss economic benefits linked to visiting teams, officials and supporters.
There is also concern over the Sri Lankan women’s team’s participation in the six-team competition.
Sri Lanka currently holds sixth place in the world rankings.
According to the report, if the ICC awards hosting rights to a country ranked outside the top five, Sri Lanka could potentially lose its place in the tournament.
The development follows an earlier setback involving Sri Lanka’s hosting rights.
Sri Lanka also lost the 2024 Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup after similar concerns over political interference.
The ICC subsequently moved that tournament to South Africa.
The latest report states that the ICC has continued to press Sri Lanka Cricket to conduct elections and introduce a new constitution for the governing body.
The decision therefore adds further pressure on Sri Lanka’s cricket administration while raising fresh questions over governance, international recognition and the financial cost of prolonged disputes surrounding the sport.
