Sri Lanka says legal dispute will not affect tours

Legal battles that have left Sri Lanka's cricket board in financial limbo will not affect tours by India and New Zealand this summer, a top sports official was quoted as saying on Thursday.

The financial status of the cricket board was thrown into doubt earlier this week when a court issued an order preventing the newly appointed interim administration from operating the cricket board's bank accounts.

Lawyers said the order would remain in effect until the Commercial High Court heard arguments from both sides in a case filed by Thilanga Sumathipala, president of the administration that was sacked in March.

But the secretary of Sri Lanka's Sports Ministry, P. Ramanujan, said a loan from the government may be used to meet the 25 million rupee ($275,000) cost of the two tours if the dispute is not sorted out before the start of a triangular series in mid-July.

"Cricket is the most important game in this country and we will make sure it will not be disrupted," Ramanujan was quoted as saying by the Daily News.

The triangular series begins on July 18, after which India will play three tests against Sri Lanka.

The court ruling is the latest in a series of legal battles which, together with power struggles and corruption scandals, have hamstrung the administration of Sri Lanka's richest sport for much of the past four years.

Sumathipala's administration was sacked after it lost a legal battle over plans to elect new officials at the end of March.

Soon after dissolving the board, Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella stopped payment on several cheques issued at the eleventh hour by Sumathipala's officials.

The interim committee has appointed independent auditors to probe the board's finances.

Mail Cricket Editor