Sri Lanka cricket board crisis no closer to solution

Sri Lanka's cricket board crisis is set to continue for several weeks after the Court of Appeal restrained Jeewan Kumaratunga, the sports minister, from dissolving or cancelling Sri Lanka Cricket's registration without a hearing until the completion of the case.

The complicated legal fight started on March 30 when Thilanga Sumathipala's executive committee, elected on March 27, filed a lawsuit to quash the sports minister's order to suspend the board on the grounds of financial mismanagement.

Sumathipala also sealed off the board headquarters, sending home all the employees on paid leave, so that the six-man interim committee appointed to takeover would not be able to gain access. Only "moveable property" such as files and documents were handed over to the new officials.

Although the interim committee is technically empowered to run the cricket board and make decisions, in practice the legal fight has effectively paralysed the administration, hampering decision-making on several important pressing concerns, including the sale of team sponsorship rights, the renewal of player and coaching contracts and planning for future tours.

The status quo will continue - assuming the sports minister does not circumvent the current interim order by appealing to higher authorities - until June 1 when the Court of Appeal will reconvene to hear the sports minister's objections to Sumathipala's legal challenge.