(CMC) – West Indies Under-19 selectors may have to change course after the sport’s world governing body, the ICC, announced yesterday that Sri Lanka will no longer host the next year’s Youth Cricket World Cup, and it will now be hosted in South Africa.
The unanimous decision of the ICC directors was taken after the provisional suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) because of government interference in the operations of the organisation on November 10, when Minister of Sport Roshan Ranasinghe dismissed the incumbent directors and replaced them with an interim committee.
Ranasinghe clashed with SLC officials over claims of corruption and mismanagement over the past year, and the sacking of the incumbent directors followed the national team’s poor performance at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India that ended on Sunday.
SLC officials applied for and received a temporary injunction into the sacking of the incumbent directors from the Sri Lanka Court of Appeal.
According to an ICC media release, “After hearing representation from SLC, the ICC Board decided that Sri Lanka can continue to compete internationally both in bilateral cricket and ICC events after being suspended recently for breaching its obligations as a member, in particular the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and without government interference.
“However, funding to SLC will be controlled by the ICC, and the ICC Board confirmed Sri Lanka will no longer host the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, which will now be held in South Africa.”
West Indies Under-19s are one of the 16 teams currently preparing for the Youth World Cup, where they are drawn in Group B alongside England, Scotland, and new hosts South Africa for the tournament originally scheduled to be played from January 13 to February 4.
The side returned from a trip in August–September to Colombo that included three youth one-day internationals and two youth tests to become acclimatised to the conditions ahead of the tournament.
The selectors, CWI, and team officials may now have to draw up new plans with South Africa hosting and media reports indicating that the cities of Benoni, Potchefstroom, Kimberley, and Bloemfontein will stage the matches.
West Indies Under-19s have won the tournament only once under the leadership of Shimron Hetmyer and the guidance of England-born coach Graeme West seven years ago in Bangladesh.
The squad included Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Chemar Holder, and Keacy Carty, and they toppled five-time winners the India Under-19s, whose squad included players such as Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, and Washington Sundar.
