Following the ICC (International Cricket Council) Annual Conference in London, it was announced that the Zimbabwe Cricket board has been suspended with immediate effect.
The board said that the Zimbabwe Cricket failed to justify their obligation to provide a process for a democratic and free election to ensure that the government is not involved when it comes to cricket.
The ICC Funding has been suspended for the country and the representative teams from Zimbabwe have been suspended from attending ICC Events.
This means that the country will not be playing in the T20 World Cup Qualifier (Men’s) which will be held in October.
Shashank Manohar, the chairman of the International Cricket Council, said, “We do not take the decision to suspend a Member lightly, but we must keep our sport free from political interference.”
Chairman Manohar added, “What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious breach of the ICC Constitution and we cannot allow it to continue unchecked. The ICC wants cricket to continue in Zimbabwe in accordance with the ICC Constitution.”
The ICC also announced concussion replacements after trials went on to be successful domestically. A player will need to be a “like-for-like substitute” and a switch will be allowed if the Match Referee allows it.
The new change will be in effect from the 1st of August 2019.
The International Cricket Council also announced that captains will no longer face suspension as a punishment for maintaining a slow over-rate, but players instead will have points deducted in the ICC Test Championship for such act.