Zimbabwe was suspended from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday, and the world governing body said the country's cricket administration was not free from government interference.

The ICC Board decided unanimously to freeze funds for the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) national governing body and to prohibit teams from southern African countries from participating in international events.

"We do not make the decision to suspend a Member lightly, but we must keep our sport free of political interference," ICC President Shashank Manohar said in a statement https://www.icc-cricket.com/media -releases / 1288479.

"What has happened in Zimbabwe is a serious violation of the ICC Constitution and we cannot allow it to continue without control."

The Sports and Recreation Commission of Zimbabwe (SRC) suspended ZC last month, putting the national cricket board on a collision course with the ICC.

Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the recent World Cup with more than 50 players, having struggled to schedule games against the main teams in international cricket as their financial position worsened.

The country became a full member of the ICC for the first time in 1992 and enjoyed an impressive career in the 1999 World Cup, narrowly losing a place in the semifinals.