Sri Lanka Cricket announces 2024 calendar, India to tour for white-ball series in July-August

India will tour Sri Lanka for a six-match white ball series during July-August 2024, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Wednesday, November 29. Notably, SLC has been going through a tragic period having been banned by the ICC (International Cricket Council) due to government interference. To further pile on the misery, the ICC U19 World Cup 2024 has also been shifted from the island nation to South Africa.

However, despite the ban, both Sri Lankan men’s and women’s team will be allowed to compete in the bilateral series. According to the 2024 calendar released by SLC, Sri Lanka and India will lock horns in the three-match ODI and T20I series during July-August 2024.

Also Read: ICC relocates Men's Under-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa

According to the calendar, Sri Lanka’s men's national team will play 52 international games in 2024 including 10 Tests, 21 ODIs and 21 T20Is. However, the T20Is, don’t include the matches they will be playing in the T20 World Cup 2024.

The toughest assignment for Sri Lanka next year will be a three-match away Test series in England which will be a part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2023-25. The other major assignment will be the two-match Test series against South Africa in November. Notably, Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to win a Test series in South Africa in 2019 whitewashing them 2-0.

Sri Lanka's sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe sacked

Meanwhile, following the ban of their cricket board by the ICC, Sri Lanka President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has sacked the country's Sports Minister, Roshan Ranasinghe who had dissolved SLC’s elected body.

Ranasinghe had dismissed the elected cricket board, alleging severe corruption among office-bearers. However, they vehemently denied the charge and are currently contesting in court.

Also Read: Muttiah Muralidaran reflects on Sri Lanka’s sloppy-slipshod World Cup campaign

Ranasinghe's dismissal from the SLC resulted in the appointment of an interim committee chaired by their 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga. Notably, the ICC Board, in its meeting in Ahmedabad on November 21, upheld the decision to suspend Sri Lanka Cricket, a verdict initially reached on November 10.