Sri Lanka has lost the hosting rights for the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027, removing a major global event from the country while its cricket administration remains under a government-appointed Transformation Committee. The six-team tournament, scheduled for February 14 to 28, will now be staged elsewhere, according to a report by the Sunday Times, with a replacement host yet to be determined.
The decision creates consequences on multiple fronts for Sri Lankan cricket. Beyond losing the commercial benefits associated with staging an ICC tournament, the change could affect the national women’s team’s route into the competition, while the underlying governance dispute between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) remains unresolved.
Women’s Champions Trophy will move from Sri Lanka
The change of host has not yet been formally announced publicly by the ICC, and no replacement venue has been confirmed.
Prakash Shaffter, Secretary of the SLC Transformation Committee, told the Sunday Times: “Yes, it has been moved out of Sri Lanka.”
The destination of the tournament is expected to be considered at the next ICC Board meeting. With that decision still pending, Shaffter added: “It will be played at another venue, but as of now, I am not sure where it will be played.”
Shaffter also expressed SLC’s disappointment over losing the event, which would have brought an ICC competition to the country and generated associated economic activity.
Governance structure remains at centre of ICC concerns
Sri Lanka Cricket is currently being administered by the Transformation Committee, which was appointed by the government to oversee reforms including proposed changes to SLC’s constitution and governance structure.
The ICC requires its member boards to operate without government interference and has not permitted SLC representatives to participate in ICC Board meetings since the Transformation Committee assumed control. The governing body has also pushed for elections and a return to an elected administration.
The ICC said in a statement in July: “The ICC Board received an update on Sri Lanka Cricket and noted progress towards a revised Constitution. It reiterated the need for elections to be held as soon as possible and agreed that Sri Lanka Cricket would continue to be unable to be represented at ICC Board meetings for the time being.”
The Transformation Committee has completed a draft constitution and submitted it to the Sports Minister. The proposed changes must proceed through the required legal process before being presented to Parliament.
Host change creates qualification uncertainty
Moving the tournament could also have implications for Sri Lanka’s participation in the inaugural competition.
The planned qualification structure is expected to feature the five highest-ranked teams alongside the host nation. Sri Lanka currently sits sixth in the rankings, meaning its position could become uncertain if hosting rights are awarded to a country outside the existing top six.
The ICC has not announced a revised qualification mechanism following the hosting change. Sri Lanka’s participation therefore remains unresolved rather than automatically being lost as a consequence of the decision.
Losing tournament carries wider financial impact
Hosting the Women’s Champions Trophy would have generated direct income for SLC while bringing participating teams, officials, broadcasters and spectators into Sri Lanka.
The economic benefits would also have extended beyond cricket, with accommodation, hospitality, transport and tourism among the sectors positioned to benefit from international visitors and associated foreign exchange earnings.
Losing the event consequently removes both a major cricket property from SLC’s calendar and the wider economic activity associated with staging an ICC tournament.
Sri Lanka faces another ICC hosting setback
The latest development follows an earlier loss of global tournament hosting rights during a period of administrative intervention.
In 2023, the ICC suspended SLC amid concerns over government interference after the then Sports Minister dissolved the elected administration and appointed an interim committee. Sri Lanka subsequently lost the 2024 ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup, which was relocated to South Africa.
The current governance process has yet to restore SLC representation at ICC Board level. With the Women’s Champions Trophy now set to leave Sri Lanka, the next immediate development will be the selection of a replacement host, which is expected to be addressed at the next ICC Board meeting.
