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Tariq Engineer
December 5, 2011
Two former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) presidents, Upali Dharmadasa and Thilanga Sumathipala, have both announced that they will run for president in the upcoming board elections. Last month Sri Lanka's sports minister dissolved the interim board that had been running SLC, and elections are scheduled to be held on January 3.
If the election goes ahead, it will be the first to take place since April, 2004. The government took over the running of the board in 2004, and since then SLC has been run by a series of interim boards - nine in all - that have served at the behest of the government.
The biggest challenge that the new board will face is rebuilding SLC's finances. SLC was bankrupted revamping the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and building two new grounds in Pallekele and Hambantota for the 2011 World Cup. These stadiums are now being maintained by the government, with the army, navy and air force each looking after one stadium. The players have also not been paid since the 2011 World Cup, though the sports minister recently said that they would be paid at least part of their dues soon.
Dharmadasa was president of SLC from 1996 to 1998 and also headed the last interim board before it was dissolved. He said it would take a lot of hard work for the board to become financially solvent again and that they would need some help. "I am very hopeful that the Sri Lanka government, with the infrastructure development where grounds are concerned, will come to our assistance," he told ESPNcricinfo. "As well as other boards, especially India, who are our closest neighbours and friends. I am hopeful they will also come and help us with the financial side.
"We have always been lucky with India. They have been in the forefront of assisting Sri Lanka Cricket for a long time and [hopefully] that will continue."
Sumathipala was the president of the board from 1997-1998, 2000-2001 and 2003-2004. His board was forced to stand down in the wake of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities in 2001, and he had to pull out of the elections in 2004 as he was in jail at the time. A member of Sri Lanka's parliament, Sumathipala said at a press conference that he was determined to work for the betterment of Sri Lanka cricket.
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