Interim committee to take over Sri Lankan cricket

Sri Lanka's sports minister has successfully modified a court order that had effectively closed down the operations of the cricket board. The interim committee appointed by the government is now expected to be able to takeover the administration of the game.

After submissions from the sports ministry, the Court of Appeal modified an interim order issued last week that had prevented the ministry from making any further orders until April 11 by allowing the sports ministry to order the suspended executive committee of Sri Lanka Cricket to handover of all "moveable" property.

The solicitor general that appeared on be half of the government successfully argued that the interim committee was not in a position to administer the sport as they could not access vital documents, were unable to operate the board's bank accounts and could not communicate with the senior team in New Zealand.

The move does not end the legal complications in the cricket crisis, but it does allow the six-man interim committee to start work. In addition, the sports minister is seeking guidance from the attorney general on how to address the wider legal challenge posed by Thilanga Sumathipala's executive committee.

Sumathipala has confronted the government over its decision to suspend the board on the grounds of financial mismanagement. Instead of moving quietly aside, he closed down the board, sent employees home and initiated legal action.

The government - which has ultimate power over Sri Lanka Cricket under the sports law and can completely dissolve the board if necessary - is keen to start an investigation into the operations of Sri Lanka Cricket and Cricket-Aid, a tsunami disaster fund set-up by the board. A constitutional review is also expected.