NEWS ALERT

NEWS UPDATE : Asian Cricket Third Sri Lanka-Pakistan ODI abandoned due to rain COLOMBO: The third One-day International between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was abandoned due to rain here at the R Premadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The umpires made this decision after consulting ... Australia want to master all forms of game: Clarke SYDNEY: Australia's limited-overs tour of England and Ireland represents the start of a two-year campaign to make them the top nation in all three forms of the game, captain Michael Clarke said ... Bopara glad to be back for England SOUTHAMPTON, England: Ravi Bopara is eager to make up for lost times as he tries to revive his ... South Africa name unchanged squad for England series JOHANNESBURG: South Africa have kept faith with a winning formula by naming an unchanged squad for the three-Test series in England starting next month, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on ...


Saturday, July 02, 2011

Sri Lanka Cricket Board dissolved

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's sports minister dissolved the country's cricket administration Friday amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement.Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage will appoint an interim committee to run the sport epartment spokesman Harsha Abeykoon said. Aluthgamage has not announced plans for elections for a new board.Abeykoon said the minister will announce the new administration later Friday.Sri Lanka Cricket has been run by successive interim committees  comprised of people favoured by politicians of the day  for the past seven years.The International Cricket Council unanimously decided at its annual conference this week to amend its laws to make free elections mandatory by 2012.The sacked administration, headed by former national test bowler Somachandra de Silva, has been accused of waste and corruption.Sri Lanka Cricket, once the nation's richest sports body, has debts of more than $15 million after co-hosting the World Cup earlier this year with India and Bangladesh.Sri Lanka Cricket said the construction costs for a new cricket ground near the southern town of Hambantota and upgrades to two existing venues for the World Cup blew out by $11 million to $40 million, creating much of the financial strain. It sought a $1.8 million grant from the government to help ease the burden.Sri Lankan governments have sacked previous elected boards and appointed administrations citing corruption, but no legal action has been taken.Sri Lanka, which hosted 12 World Cup matches, reached the final of the tournament on April 2, losing to India in Mumbai