The ICC has shifted the location of the 2024 Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa due to the suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the prevailing administrative uncertainty within the board.
As per a Cricbuzz report, the ICC decided to change the venue for the 2024 Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa during a meeting in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
The decision to suspend SLC was also maintained. Despite this, cricket activities in Sri Lanka will proceed without disruption, with SLC overseeing them using ICC funding under controlled conditions.
Sri Lanka’s cricket board, SLC, got suspended by the country’s parliament in November. The ICC decided this violated cricket board autonomy rules and, as a result, suspended the SLC from its activities.
Sammi Silva, the former president of SLC, attended the ICC meeting despite being ousted by the Sri Lankan government, as he still has the support of the ICC.
Oman and the UAE were also options for hosting, but South Africa was chosen due to its superior infrastructure, with Cricket South Africa (CSA) providing three grounds for the Under-19 World Cup.
The Under-19 World Cup was scheduled to take place in January-February 2024
The Under-19 World Cup, originally planned from January 13 to February 24 in Sri Lanka across five venues, faces potential date and venue changes following the shift to South Africa.
Sixteen teams will participate, earning qualification either automatically or through their performances in regional ICC tournaments.
Automatic qualification: Sri Lanka (hosts), India, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Ireland, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe
Regional qualification: Namibia (Africa Regional Qualifier), USA (Americas Regional Qualifier),Nepal, New Zealand (EAP Regional Qualifier), Scotland (Europe Regional Qualifier).
The participating teams will be grouped into four groups, each consisting of four teams. The top three teams from each group will advance to the next stage, forming two groups. The top two teams from these groups will then qualify for the semi-finals.
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