Sri Lanka will no longer stage the inaugural six-team ICC Women's Champions Trophy scheduled from February 14 to 28, 2027
Prakash Shaffter, Secretary of the government-appointed SLC Transformation Committee, confirmed that the tournament has been moved out of Sri Lanka
The ICC relocated the event due to persistent issues regarding government interference and non-compliance with member board independence rules
Sri Lanka Stripped Of ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 Hosting Rights Amid Governance Dispute
The International Cricket Council has stripped Sri Lanka of the hosting rights for the inaugural six-team 2027 Women's Champions Trophy following ongoing governance disputes and government interference in Sri Lanka Cricket. SLC Transformation Committee Secretary Prakash Shaffter confirmed the tournament move, while a replacement host remains unannounced
Summary
Sri Lanka will no longer host the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027, a fresh setback for the country’s cricket administration as its dispute with the International Cricket Council deepens. The six-team event is scheduled from February 14 to 28 next year and will now be played elsewhere, Hindustan Times reported.
The replacement host has not been chosen. The matter is likely to be settled when the ICC Board next meets. Sri Lanka Cricket remains under a government-appointed Transformation Committee, an arrangement that clashes with the ICC’s long-held rule that member boards must function independently and without government interference.
SLC Governance Dispute
Prakash Shaffter, Secretary of the SLC Transformation Committee, confirmed the switch while speaking to the Sunday Times, as reported by Hindustan Times. “Yes, it has been moved out of Sri Lanka,” Shaffter said. “It will be played at another venue, but as of now, I am not sure where it will be played.”
The Transformation Committee has been overseeing proposed changes to SLC’s structure and constitution. The ICC has kept up pressure for elections and a return to an elected board. Since the committee took charge, SLC representatives have also been barred from taking part in ICC Board meetings.
The pressure continued in July. At those meetings, the ICC again stressed that elections should be held as soon as possible.
Tournament Fallout
Hosting an ICC event brings in teams, officials, broadcast crews and spectators. That creates income for the national board and for sectors linked to travel, accommodation and tourism.
The tournament itself adds another layer. The Women’s Champions Trophy will feature six teams, and the original qualification plan gave places to the leading teams plus the host. Sri Lanka are currently sixth in the rankings, which means a host change could alter the entry picture if the event goes to a country outside the present qualification spots.
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The ICC has not announced any new qualification system. So Sri Lanka’s status remains unclear. The board has also not yet formally announced that Sri Lanka has lost hosting rights or named the country that will stage the 2027 tournament.
Sri Lanka have faced this before. In 2023, the ICC suspended SLC over concerns about government interference in the running of the sport. Sri Lanka then lost the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup, which was eventually held in South Africa.
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