Dharmadasa, Sumathipala to run for SLC president

Two former Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) presidents, Upali Dharmadasa and Thilanga Sumathipala, have announced that they will run for president in the upcoming board elections. Last month Sri Lanka's sports minister had dissolved the interim board that had been running SLC, and elections were scheduled to be held on January 3.

If the election is held it will be the first to take place since April 2004. The government took over the running of the board in 2004, and since then SLC has been run by a series of interim boards - nine in all - that served at the behest of the government.

Dharmadasa was president of SLC from 1996 to 1998 and also headed the last interim board before it was dissolved. Sumathipala, now a member of parliament, is a three-time president of the board, having served in 1997-1998, 2000-2001 and 2003-2004. His board was forced to stand down in the wake of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities in 2001. In 2004, he had to pull out of the elections as he was in jail at the time.

The biggest challenge the new board will face is rebuilding SLC's finances. SLC was bankrupted revamping the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and building two new grounds in Pallekele and Hambantota for the 2011 World Cup. These stadiums are now being maintained by the government, with the army, navy and air force each looking after one stadium. The players have also not been paid since the 2011 World Cup, though the sports minister recently said that they would be paid at least part of their dues soon.

Dharmadasa said it would take a lot of hard work for the board to become financially solvent again and that they would need some help. "I am very hopeful that the Sri Lanka government, with the infrastructure development where grounds are concerned, will come to our assistance," he told ESPNcricinfo. "As well as other boards, especially India, who are our closest neighbours and friends. I am hopeful they will also come and help us with the financial side.

"We have always been lucky with India. They have been in the forefront of assisting Sri Lanka Cricket for a long time and [hopefully] that will continue."

When asked about his contesting the SLC elections, Sumathipala said at a press conference that he was determined to work for the betterment of Sri Lanka cricket.