Sri Lanka is set to lose the hosting rights for the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027. This will be the second major ICC event that the country has lost in three years. Sri Lanka was scheduled to host the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy. The tournament will use the T20 format. It will take place from February 14 to 28 next year. Six teams will compete in the event.
However, a governance dispute between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has forced the ICC to look for another host.
Government interference causes dispute
The dispute centres on government involvement in Sri Lanka Cricket. The Sri Lankan government currently controls the cricket board through a transformation committee. The committee acts as an interim administration. However, ICC rules do not allow the world cricket body to recognise cricket boards that governments directly appoint or control.
This dispute has now affected Sri Lanka’s hosting rights. Prakash Shaffter, secretary of the SLC Transformation Committee, confirmed that the tournament would move out of the country.
“Yes, it has been moved out of Sri Lanka. “It will be played at another venue, but as of now, I am not sure where it will be played," SLC Transformation Committee Secretary Prakash Shaffter told the Sunday Times.
India could host the tournament
The ICC has not yet confirmed the replacement venue. According to an ESPN Cricinfo report, the ICC could decide the new host at its next meeting in October. India has emerged as a possible replacement. The country has hosted several major ICC tournaments and has the infrastructure to stage the competition.
However, the change could create another problem for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka qualified for the tournament as the host nation. If the ICC moves the event elsewhere, the governing body could reconsider Sri Lanka’s place in the competition.
Sri Lanka could lose its tournament spot
The ICC used the Women’s T20I rankings from July 6 to determine qualification for the tournament. The top five teams qualified. The host nation received the sixth spot. Australia, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa secured the five ranking-based places. Sri Lanka qualified as the host.
Sri Lanka currently ranks seventh in the Women’s T20I rankings. The West Indies sit sixth. Therefore, the West Indies could replace Sri Lanka if the ICC follows the original ranking-based qualification system after changing the host. However, the ICC could also change the qualification rules. The final decision will depend on the new host and any changes the ICC makes to the qualification criteria.
Sri Lanka loses another ICC event
This is not the first time Sri Lanka has lost an ICC tournament because of government interference. In 2024, the ICC moved the Men’s Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa. The ICC took that decision after suspending Sri Lanka Cricket over government interference in the board’s administration.
The latest development shows that the dispute remains unresolved. Sri Lanka had hoped to make history by hosting the first Women’s Champions Trophy. Instead, the ICC now plans to move the tournament to another country.
The ICC’s October meeting should provide more clarity on the new host. It should also determine whether Sri Lanka will retain its place in the six-team tournament.