ICC removes SLC as Champions Trophy hosts [Source: AFP]Sri Lanka Cricket finds itself in deep trouble just days after pulling off a memorable draw against India in Colombo, as it has now been stripped of the hosting rights for the historic ICC Champions Trophy 2027. This comes as a massive jolt for the board, as it would affect the nation’s cricket, both financially and sportingly.This is not the first time the ICC has punished SLC recently, as the board representatives were also disbarred from attending an ICC board meeting, pointing to administrative flaws from the Asian giants.Sri Lanka loses hosting rights for inaugural Women's Champions TrophyIn March 2021, the ICC announced a historic Women’s Champions Trophy to be played in 2027. Just over a year later, SLC won the hosting rights for the inaugural tournament, which will feature six top women’s cricket teams.However, recently the Sri Lankan government has been actively involved in SLC’s administration through the SLC Transformation Committee. The committee oversees reforms to the board and has also proposed changes to its constitution and governance structure.Hence, after already reprimanding SLC by disallowing them from joining a recent meeting, the ICC has taken a drastic step to remove them as hosts of the Champions Trophy, which was to be played from February 14 to 28 in 2027.“Yes, it has been moved out of Sri Lanka. It will be played at another venue, but as of now, I am not sure where it will be played,” SLC Transformation Committee Secretary Prakash Shaffter told the Sunday Times.Also Read: ICC To Suspend Sri Lanka? SLC Issues Official WordICC has also previously explicitly asked the board to conduct an election as soon as possible, but the Transformation Committee has not complied with the instructions.Sri Lanka’s Champions Trophy participation in dangerWhen the SLC was awarded the rights to host the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027, the Women's cricket team received automatic qualification as hosts.It is going to be a six-team tournament, wherein the top-5 ranked T20I teams would play the competition, alongside the hosts. All six teams were confirmed till now, but with Sri Lanka Women sitting at 7th place in the ICC T20I team rankings, they could miss the tournament.A similar case happened with SLC in 2024, when they lost their hosting rights for the ICC U19 World Cup 2024, and the competition was moved to South Africa. This was after the ICC had suspended SLC briefly in 2023.There is no official word from the ICC on the cutoff date to confirm qualification through rankings, but if the rankings as of August 30, 2026, are considered, Sri Lanka will miss the tournament, even if the new host is ranked among the top 5.Who will replace Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy?As of now, Australia, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa have all booked their tickets to the tournament in February 2027.Considering the latest rankings, if the new tournament hosts are from the aforementioned five countries, the sixth-ranked West Indies will take Sri Lanka’s spot as the sixth team. In case any team from outside the top 5 hosts it, it will automatically qualify for the competition.Previously, the ICC has considered the UAE as one of the suitable destinations for multiple ICC events through the years. So, it won't be surprising if the Emirates Cricket Board gets the hosting rights for the major event. This would also mean that the UAE will have their team in the Women's Champions Trophy, despite being ranked 15th in the WT20I rankings. Also Read: West Indies Spinner Vitel Lawes Achieves What Sunil Narine Couldn't In CPL History
