Sri Lankan board announces elections

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will hold fresh cricket board elections on March 28 to elect a president and executive committee for the year. Thilanga Sumathipala, currently remanded in custody after becoming embroiled in a passport scandal, has confirmed that he will not be standing for re-election.

Sumathipala's executive committee was elected into office in June 2003 for a one-year term. However, as per Sri Lanka sports law, all sporting bodies must hold their Annual General Meetings before March 31. The board must officially notify members and submit its accounts before February 28.

Although Sumathipala is stepping aside, his team still expected to win easily and the two current vice-presidents, Aravinda de Silva and AJM Muzammil, would appear to be frontrunners for the top post. But board sources have not ruled out a suitable candidate being drafted in from outside the current executive committee.

Meanwhile, reports in The Island, a newspaper, on Wednesday claimed that the government is considering the appointment of another interim committee to manage the affairs of the board. If the Sports Minister did cancel the elections, it would be the fourth government-appointed administration since 1999.