Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) boss Shammi Silva has claimed that the ICC's suspension of the nation was five months in the making.
The ICC suspended SLC with immediate effect due to extensive government interference in the board's administration this week following a dismal World Cup campaign.
Silva claimed that ICC deputy chairman Imran Khwaja had warned the governing body about cleaning up its act earlier this year.
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"About five months ago, the ICC came here when there was news of political interference, and held an inquiry," Silva said.
"Mr Imran Khwaja met the minister and the president (of Sri Lanka) and told them the ICC would be taking it seriously if they didn't properly control this. This (the suspension) is not something that happens in one or two days.
"Khwaja came on May 10. I later went to an ICC meeting from July 10 to 14. In their report, it says that Sri Lanka Cricket is being totally politically abused.
"Then they told me we have a few options: either we ban Sri Lanka, stop the cricket in Sri Lanka, or stop the money to Sri Lanka. I told them not to do that. So actually we were going to be suspended between July 10 and 14, and we (SLC officials) prevented it."
The ICC's intervention comes amid an ongoing feud between the SLC and Sri Lanka's sports minister Roshan Ranasinghe, who has accused the cricket board of being corrupt.
Silva and his board currently remain in charge of Sri Lanka Cricket, but only because of a 14-day stay order from Sri Lanka's courts, which reversed Ranasinghe's decision to appoint an interim committee led by 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga.
Sri Lanka, a one-time cricketing powerhouse, has failed to make it past the group stage in the last two 50-over World Cups.
The 1996 winners were humiliated by the likes of Bangladesh and Afghanistan, winning just two games at this year's World Cup.
The clash against Bangladesh also featured the controversial timeout dismissal of former captain Angelo Mathews.
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