ICC suspends Sri Lanka Cricket due to government interference
Dubai, Nov 10: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday suspended Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) due to government interference.
The Sri Lanka government had sacked the SLC following the team's disastrous show at the World Cup, where it lost seven of the nine games.
SLC was reinstated by the court of appeal, thus further deepening the crisis in the country's cricket governing body. On Thursday, a joint government and opposition resolution in parliament demanded the resignation of the SLC's management.
"International Cricket Council Board has suspended Sri Lanka Cricket's membership of the ICC with immediate effect," ICC said in a statement.
"The ICC Board met today and determined that Sri Lanka Cricket is in serious breach of its obligations as a Member, in particular, the requirement to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government interference in the governance, regulation and/or administration of cricket in Sri Lanka," the statement said.
"The conditions of the suspension will be decided by the ICC Board in due course," it added.
The government, which is split over the minister's decision to sack the SLC board of management, came out with a report, recommending a brand new constitution for the governing body with a new voting structure to appoint office bearers.
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Delhi polls: Kejriwal claims BJP to name Ramesh Bidhuri as CM face, challenges him to public debate
New Delhi, Jan 11: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday claimed that the BJP has picked former MP Ramesh Bidhuri as its chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections and will soon make the announcement.
Addressing a press conference here, the former chief minister also challenged Bidhuri to a public debate.
"We have come to know from reliable sources that the BJP is going to name Ramesh Bidhuri as its CM candidate in the next one or two days," Kejriwal claimed.
"There should be an open public debate between the chief ministerial candidates of the AAP and the BJP, whether it is Ramesh Bidhuri or anyone else," he said.
"Yes, we are challenging the BJP to a debate," Kejriwal said in response to questions from reporters.
The BJP has fielded Bidhuri from Kalkaji assembly constituency. He will take on AAP candidate and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who is seeking re-election from the seat.
On Friday, Atishi also claimed that the BJP was going to name Bidhuri as its CM face and criticised the party for picking a leader who "hurls the most abuses".
Bidhuri's recent remarks about Atishi triggered a controversy. He said Atishi "changed her father" by changing her surname from Marlena to Singh.
He also drew flak for his remarks about Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi. He said he would make roads in his constituency smooth like "Priyanka Gandhi's cheeks". He expressed regret following an uproar.
The 70-member Delhi Assembly will go to polls on February 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on February 8.
The AAP, which won 67 seats in the 2015 polls and 62 in the 2020 polls, is eyeing a third consecutive term in the capital. The BJP won three seats in 2015 and eight in 2020 while the Congress drew a blank.
