Dambulla dropped as one-day venue for triangular series

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board's (BCCSL) interim committee took the decision on Thursday to remove the controversial Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium from its list of venues for next month's one-day triangular series.

Interim committee sources said the decision to take the matches away from Dambulla was arrived at on the advice of their lawyers and with the consultation of the Sports Minister.

They said legal implications on the ownership of the land was the main issue regarding the change of venue.

The interim committee was looking for an alternative venue to play the three matches involving Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand. The matches are due to be played between July 25-28.

Galle International Stadium and the Saravanamuttu Stadium are the ones that are looked at as alternative venues.

The Dambulla stadium, built in 175 days at an initially estimated cost of Rs. 300 million, hosted the first One-Day International between Sri Lanka and England on March 23.

Since then a legal dispute over the ownership of the land and the alleged mismanagement of finances which is currently under investigation have raised a question mark against the staging of international matches at this venue.

The first four-day unofficial Test between Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A is currently being played there.