After a thorough consideration of representations from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has determined that Sri Lanka can resume its international cricket activities, both in bilateral matches and ICC events. This decision comes after the recent suspension of Sri Lanka for violating its obligations as an ICC Member, particularly in failing to manage its affairs autonomously and without government interference.
Nevertheless, the ICC will now oversee the funding allocated to Sri Lanka Cricket, and the ICC Board has officially announced that Sri Lanka will no longer be the host nation for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024. South Africa will now take on the responsibility of hosting the prestigious event.
In another significant development, the ICC Board has endorsed new gender eligibility regulations for international cricket. The regulations, formulated after a comprehensive 9-month consultation process with stakeholders in the sport, prioritize the protection of the integrity of the women’s game, safety, fairness, and inclusion. Under these guidelines, individuals who have undergone any form of male puberty, regardless of subsequent surgery or gender reassignment treatment, will be ineligible to participate in the international women’s game.
The review, spearheaded by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee chaired by Dr. Peter Harcourt, exclusively focuses on gender eligibility for international women’s cricket. At the domestic level, gender eligibility remains under the purview of each individual Member Board, subject to local legislation, and the regulations will undergo a review within two years.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice emphasized, “The changes to the gender eligibility regulations resulted from an extensive consultation process and are founded in science, aligned with the core principles developed during the review. Inclusivity is incredibly important to us as a sport, but our priority was to protect the integrity of the international women’s game and the safety of players.”
Additionally, the Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) has greenlit a plan to expedite the development of female match officials. This initiative includes equalizing match day pay for ICC umpires in men’s and women’s cricket and ensuring the presence of one neutral umpire in every ICC Women’s Championship series starting January 2024.
The CEC has also decided to implement a trial stop clock in men’s ODI and T20I cricket from December 2023 to April 2024. The clock aims to regulate the time taken between overs, and if the bowling team fails to be ready within 60 seconds of the previous over’s completion, a 5-run penalty will be imposed after the third occurrence in an innings.
Furthermore, approved changes to the pitch and outfield monitoring regulations include simplifying the criteria for assessing a pitch and raising the threshold for removing a venue’s international status from five demerit points to six demerit points over a five-year period.
