No threat to Indian and New Zealand tours

The Sports Ministry in Sri Lanka denied on Wednesday that the forthcoming India and New Zealand tours to Sri Lanka in July would face any disruption because of the cash crisis that engulfed the cricket board on Monday when their bank accounts were frozen by the High Court.

Secretary of the Sports Ministry, Dr Ramanujan, expects the two tours to cost 25 million rupees (USD $ 280,000) and believes that a government loan can be sought to cover this expense should the need arise.

"Cricket is the most important game in this country and we will make sure that it is not disrupted," he promised.

The Sports Minister, Lakshmann Kiriella, is expected to submit a proposal to the cabinet shortly requesting the loan from the Treasury.

Members of the Interim Committee, however, are believed to be confident that the court order issued on Monday, which prohibits the Bank of Ceylon from releasing cricket board funds because of the ongoing dispute over the decision to dissolve the board in March, will be overturned swiftly. The case returns to court on June 1.

In a separate case, filed by the former secretary and treasurer of the dissolved board, which is at an appeal stage and is entering the second day of proceedings, a decision is expected soon.

The ex-board members are requesting that the court suspends the Interim Committee, appointed by the Sports Minister straight after the board dissolution, arguing that there was no due reason for it's dissolution and that the process of dissolution was itself plagued by procedural malpractice.

Solicitor General C.R. de Silva argued yesterday in court that the suspension of the Interim Committee would bring cricket in Sri Lanka to a grinding halt at an important time.