The International Cricket Council (ICC) has requested that elections for Sri Lanka Cricket are held within six months, failing which SLC’s Membership status would be considered.

The decision was reached during the ICC’s annual conference that concluded in Dublin on Monday (July 2).

Recognizing the current situation in Sri Lanka Cricket - whose affairs are being overseen by the country’s Sports Ministry - the ICC allowed a representative of the Sri Lankan Sports Minister to now sit as an observer to the ICC Board and Full Council. 

However, the ICC gave Sri Lanka a polite six-month deadline to conduct elections failing which it would be forced to reconsider SLC’s membership status.

“The Board agreed to allow a representative of the Sri Lankan Sports Minister to sit as an observer to the ICC Board and Full Council, but requested that elections for Sri Lanka Cricket are held within six months, failing which SLC’s Membership status would be considered,” a statement said.

Meanwhile the ICC board also supported the recommendations of the Chief Executives’ Committee and Cricket Committee for changes to the code of conduct, including the introduction of new offences such as Personal Abuse and Audible Obscenity while increasing the level of punishment for “changing the condition of the ball” to Level 3 from Level 2.

The maximum sanction for a Level 3 offence was also increased from 8 suspension points to 12 - translating into a 6-Test or 12-ODI ban. The same change was applied to a Level 4 offence. It was also decided that match referees will henceforth hear any charges from Level 1 to 3 while a Judicial Commissioner will only hear Level 4 charges and appeals.

Attempting to gain unfair advantage (i.e. any form of cheating other than ball tampering) and Personal Abuse were the latest offences which carried Level 2-3 charges while Audible Obscenity and Disobeying An Umpire’s Instructions were the other new codes which were categorised as Level 1 offences.