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Sumathipala is SL cricket chief

Thilanga Sumathipala has been elected head of the Sri Lankan cricket board.

Though there were five contenders for the post, they dropped out one by one with the last surviving opponent, Jayantha Dharmadasa, withdrawing his candidature just before voting began. This led to Sumathipala being elected unopposed.

"There were legal problems and other irregularities," Dharmadasa alleged while withdrawing his candidature. "I am consulting lawyers to see if the vote can be challenged in court."

Sumathipala's candidature was in fact challenged in court on Friday, on the grounds that his alleged connnections with the gambling industry disqualified him from office. Sumathipala's counsel however said that he had been cleared by the International Cricket Council and could therefore contest.

However, while dismissing the petition, one judge said that a fresh petition could be filed if Sumathipala did in fact win the election.

The meeting was held amidst tight security, understandably so given the circumstances. It will be recalled that Sumathipala was the board chief whose re-election last year plunged the SL board into a huge crisis. On that occasion, his main rival was Clifford Ratawate, who walked out of the meeting alleging that gun-wielding gangsters had prevented a fair vote.

The election of Sumathipala was challenged at that time, and the court suspended Sumathipala's newly-constituted executive committee.