Sri Lanka Cricket has temporarily suspended all domestic tournaments run by it with immediate effect.
“Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to immediately halt all board-conducted domestic tournaments,” a SLC media release stated.
“This includes the ongoing Major Club 3-Day Tournament and also the Invitational Club Tier ‘B’ 3-Day Tournament.
“Accordingly, Sri Lanka Cricket is compelled to suspend all SLC-organised domestic cricket tournaments until clarification is obtained on the same.
The situation has developed from SLC’s 2021 dispute about revamping its domestic competitions, which many considered overblown.
The now-defunct Technical Advisory Committee that was headed by Aravinda de Silva had asked to replace the two-tier structure with 13 teams in a couple of groups each, competing in three-day matches during a season.
While there was a relegation-promotion system in place, the relegated teams had no first-class tournaments to play in, which led to complaints from those sides.
After an emergency general meeting in June, the two-tier format was reinstated, as the Major Club three-day competition and the Invitational Club Tier B three-day tournament returned.
While it was also decided that four relegated sides from 2022 and the top six sides from the Governor’s Trophy will play in the tier-B competition, Gesto Cricket Club (GCC) objected to it for reasons unclear and the matter was taken to Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeals and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Sports wrote to SLC, stating that changes to the tournament structure can only happen if the board constitution is changed, which requires the sports minister’s approval as per Sri Lanka’s Sports Law.
Currently, SLC is awaiting a response from sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe.
