If you’ve watched cricket, you’ve probably heard stories about corruption. Pakistan has had corruption issues. India faced IPL spot-fixing. South Africa dealt with the Hansie Cronje case.
But nothing shocked the cricket world like what came out of Sri Lanka. Because the ICC itself, in an official report called Sri Lanka Cricket “the most corrupt cricket body in the world.” This wasn’t gossip. This wasn’t social media drama. It came straight from the ICC.
Sri Lanka Cricket has been described by the ICC as having the highest number of corruption cases in world cricket. From player bans and pitch-fixing caught on camera to financial scandals and a historic ICC suspension in 2023, no other full-member board has faced so many corruption-related controversies at once.
How did a country with so much passion, so much talent, and so much cricket history end up with one of the worst reputations the sport has ever seen?
The ICC’s Shocking Statement (2018)
In December 2018, Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister said he had seen an ICC report that called Sri Lanka Cricket the most corrupt board in the world. He said the corruption wasn’t a small issue, it was deep, it had been happening for years, and many people were involved. This raised huge questions. Fans wanted to know: who was involved, what happened, and how bad was it? And very soon, names started coming out. The first big shock came in 2019 when the ICC banned Sanath Jayasuriya, one of Sri Lanka’s biggest heroes. He wasn’t banned for fixing, but for refusing to cooperate with an investigation. Even that was a huge moment. Then things got bigger.
In 2020, the ICC banned fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa for six years for trying to fix matches in the 2017 T10 League. Soon after, Dilhara Lokuhettige was banned for eight years for his role in the same tournament. Two former Sri Lankan internationals banned for fixing in just two years, something no other Full Member cricket nation has seen. Even officials were caught. Former curator Jayananda Warnaweera was banned for avoiding ICC interviews about shady activities at the Galle stadium. But the next scandal was the one that shook the entire world.
The Galle Pitch-Fixing Scandal — Caught on Camera
In 2018, Al Jazeera released hidden-camera footage showing Galle stadium staff agreeing to fix pitches for Test matches involving India and England. This was not a rumour. It was literally caught on video — faces, voices, everything. Sri Lanka Cricket suspended the officials immediately, and the ICC launched a full investigation. But the damage was already done. If match-fixing is bad… pitch-fixing is worse. It means the entire game can be controlled before a ball is bowled.
ICC Takes Action — A Country Under Watch
By 2017–18, things were so serious that the ICC opened a permanent Anti-Corruption Unit office in Colombo. This has never been done in any other country. Investigators were posted there full-time, and the ICC openly said that Sri Lanka had the highest number of corruption cases in world cricket. This showed how out of control the situation had become.
The Government Steps In (2023)
After Sri Lanka’s terrible 2023 World Cup campaign, the people were angry — and the government took action. Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe dissolved the entire cricket board. He accused the board of corruption, wasting money, and ruining the sport. Even SLC President Shammi Silva was named in complaints. But the ICC has one big rule: governments cannot interfere in cricket boards. So, the ICC reacted immediately.
On 17 November 2023, the ICC suspended Sri Lanka Cricket. This made Sri Lanka the first full-member nation to be suspended for not running its board properly and allowing political interference. It was a huge embarrassment for the country and for world cricket.
Money Problems — Missing Funds and Bad Deals
Financial reports made things even worse. Sri Lanka’s Auditor General found serious problems in SLC’s accounts between 2016 and 2022. Money from TV rights couldn’t be traced. Contracts were suspicious. Travel bills were unusually high. Equipment was bought at extremely high prices, and some equipment worth millions simply disappeared.
The Auditor General said, “There is no proper financial discipline at Sri Lanka Cricket.” This made it clear that the corruption wasn’t just on the field — it was inside the boardroom.
Legends Speak Out
Sri Lanka’s biggest cricket legends couldn’t stay silent anymore. Arjuna Ranatunga said the board was being run like a mafia. Kumar Sangakkara spoke about political interference and lack of transparency.
Mahela Jayawardene said Sri Lanka’s problems were not because of the players — but because of the administration. When legends speak out together, the truth becomes impossible to ignore.
Fixers Target Domestic Cricket
Even domestic cricket was affected. Low salaries, weak systems, and poor monitoring made it easy for fixers to approach players. ICC Anti-Corruption chief Alex Marshall said, “We have more corruption investigations in Sri Lanka than anywhere else.” No other country has ever been described like that.
So, Is Sri Lanka Cricket the Most Corrupt Board Ever? Look at the evidence: The ICC said Sri Lanka had the highest number of corruption cases. Multiple international players were banned. Pitch-fixing was caught on camera. The government dissolved the board citing corruption. The ICC suspended the board in 2023. Financial audits exposed massive irregularities. Former captains described SLC as corrupt, politicized, and mafia-like. And the ICC established a special anti-corruption office only in Sri Lanka. No other cricket board in history has experienced all of these issues simultaneously.
Not Pakistan.
Not India.
Not South Africa.
Not Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka Cricket stands alone in the sheer number, scale, and depth of corruption-related scandals.
Conclusion
Sri Lanka is a nation overflowing with passion, talent and cricketing heritage. They’ve produced legends, won a World Cup, and inspired millions. But behind the brilliance on the field, the board running the sport has been trapped in a cycle of corruption, greed, politics and mismanagement.
And that is why experts, fans, former players, and even the ICC have called Sri Lanka Cricket — “the most corrupt cricket board in history.”
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