Elections to Cricket Board in two months time - Minister Lokuge

By Shanika SRIYANANDA

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CRICKET BOARD: The long awaited hustings to the Cricket Board of Sri Lanka will be held in two months time, Minister of Sports and Recreation Gamini Lokuge told the Sunday Observer on Friday.

Answering a question posed as to the highly controversial subject of holding the long overdue annual general meeting of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), which underwent a change of name some six years ago under former President Thilanga Sumathipala, the Minister who first said in lighter vein: "I can do everything concerning other sports bodies, but categorically added: "Elections will be held to the Cricket Board in about two months time." Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has been a hot topic in sports circles with the Board being run for over a decade by interim committees since the mid 1990's after Thilanga Sumathipala was first stripped of his presidency on charges of corruption. Then again when Sumathipala came to office some six years ago, the Board was dissolved by the then Sports Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga and since then cricket in the country has been administered by interim committees. However, the last interim committee headed by Jayantha Dharmadasa was accused of gross financial misappropriation running into millions of rupees with even his successor the popular World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga claiming that he had taken over an empty kitty. It led Ranatunga to call for an audit report on the running of SLC during the Dharmadasa tenure.

Asked as to why action is not taken by his ministry against errant officials, Minister Lokuge said: "Some of the allegations had taken place not when I was Minister. Furthermore, there have been only allegations and counter allegations.

As a matter of fact there was a court case against Sumathipala on those grounds, nut he was exonerated."