ICC suspends Zimbabwe Cricket

LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday suspended Zimbabwe Cricket with immediate effect after the board failed to fulfil their obligation to provide a process for free elections and ensure that there is no government inteference in cricket matters.

ICC funding will be suspended, and representative teams from the country will be barred from participating at ICC events, putting their participation in October’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in jeopardy.

The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference held in London. “We do not take the decision to suspend a member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference,” ICC chairman Shashank Manohar said.

“What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious breach of the ICC constitution and we cannot allow it to continue unchecked. The ICC wants cricket to continue in Zimbabwe in accordance with the ICC constitution.”

The introduction of concussion replacements and a change to over-rate punishments were the other major decisions made at the conference. Concussion replacements will be introduced following successful trials in domestic cricket. The player will need to be a like-for-like substitute, and any such switch will need to be approved by the match referee.

The change will come into effect from August 1, meaning the first game for which they will be in play will be the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. Also significant is an alteration to punishments for maintaining a slow over-rate. Captains will no longer face suspension, but players face point deductions in the ICC Test Championship for breaches.