da spicy bet： Former Sri Lankan cricket board President Thilanga Sumathipala was clearedto stand for his third term in charge on Thursday as the ColomboDistrict Court dismissed a longstanding interim injunction
Charlie Austin03-Jan-2003Former Sri Lankan cricket board President Thilanga Sumathipala was clearedto stand for his third term in charge on Thursday as the ColomboDistrict Court dismissed a longstanding interim injunction.The injunction, obtained in 1999 after an application by long-time foeClifford Ratwatte following a controversial cricket board election marred byphysical intimidation and accusations of vote buying, had preventedSumithipala and seven other former board members from holding office.When Sumathipala successfully stood for the BCCSL presidency in 2000, havingbeing cleared to do so by the sports ministry appointed director of sports,Milton Amarasinghe, who was charged with the responsibility of overseeingthe election, his opponents rushed back into the Sri Lankan courts to file a’contempt of court’ case.Nevertheless, Sumathipala’s committee led the BCCSL until the board wassuddenly cancelled in March 2001 by sports minister Lakshman Kiriellafollowing unproven accusations of financial irregularities. 21 months on,the affairs of the cricket board are still managed by an interim committeeThe original injunction and the subsequent contempt of court case had been apotential stumbling block for Sumathipala’s team when the sports ministrycalls for elections expected shortly after the World Cup.Sumathipala, speaking at a hastily arranged press conference at his Colomboresidence, was delighted with the result: “We knew that we had neverviolated the constitution of the BCCSL. We have proved that there was nocontempt of court and that we were eligible to hold office in 2000.”He confirmed a desire to once again run for office: “Legally, they (hisopponents) cannot stop us from contesting. We shall decide, as a committee,on our next step once an election is called. It is up to the BCCSLmembership to decide whether they want me to stand.”The exact date of that election is still unclear as former Sri Lanka captainArjuna Ranatunga, an expected frontline opponent, fights his own legalbattle against a proposed government law preventing politicians from holdingoffice in official sports bodies.Once Ranatunga’s case is cleared from the court then the election cancommence and for the confident Sumathipala that will not be a moment toosoon.”This is a crucial juncture in Sri Lanka cricket,” he said. “Interimcommittees mean ad hoc decisions. There has been no direction and noleadership. This is not acceptable to the membership of the BCCSL – thefaster we have a democratically elected board the better for Sri Lankacricket.”He lay the blame for Sri Lanka’s dismal recent performance squarely at thefeet of the interim administrators: “Players are very sensitive – a smallproblem can become a very big extremely quickly. There has been nomanagement, no unity, no single voice.”Sumathipala, a successful businessman and the current chairman of telecomgiant Sri Lanka Telecom, can draw on strong support in the cricket clubs andis widely expected to sweep back into power once an election is called.