Interim Chairman dismisses security threat to forthcoming tours of Sri Lanka

Cricket Board interim committee chairman Rienzie Wijetilleke said that the on-going war in the North is unlikely to stop the cricket tours here by Pakistan and South African teams next month.

"The government will not object to the matches being played. These tours are a commercial venture and not tamashas. We stand to lose a lot by not playing the matches. It would affect us financially as we are tied up with a lot of sponsorship deals. Cancellation of any cricket tour will only reflect the gravity of the situation here," said Wijetilleke. He said his only worry was whether the two countries had concern over the security situation here. "It is still too early for that. But I think the tours will go ahead as planned," he said.

Pakistan are due on June 8 and South Africa on July 3. Both countries are scheduled to play a series of three Tests each against Sri Lanka and also participate in a one-day triangular tournament.

The government on Wednesday put the country on a war footing cancelling all tamashas and deciding to suspend temporarily non-essential development and freezing the salaries of Ministers from this month. - [S.T.]