Thilanga Sumathipala cleared to stand for board elections

Former Sri Lankan cricket board President Thilanga Sumathipala was cleared to stand for his third term in charge on Thursday as the Colombo District Court dismissed a longstanding interim injunction.

The injunction, obtained in 1999 after an application by long-time foe Clifford Ratwatte following a controversial cricket board election marred by physical intimidation and accusations of vote buying, had prevented Sumithipala and seven other former board members from holding office.

When Sumathipala successfully stood for the BCCSL presidency in 2000, having being cleared to do so by the sports ministry appointed director of sports, Milton Amarasinghe, who was charged with the responsibility of overseeing the election, his opponents rushed back into the Sri Lankan courts to file a 'contempt of court' case.

Nevertheless, Sumathipala's committee led the BCCSL until the board was suddenly cancelled in March 2001 by sports minister Lakshman Kiriella following unproven accusations of financial irregularities. 21 months on, the affairs of the cricket board are still managed by an interim committee

The original injunction and the subsequent contempt of court case had been a potential stumbling block for Sumathipala's team when the sports ministry calls for elections expected shortly after the World Cup.

Sumathipala, speaking at a hastily arranged press conference at his Colombo residence, was delighted with the result: "We knew that we had never violated the constitution of the BCCSL. We have proved that there was no contempt of court and that we were eligible to hold office in 2000."

He confirmed a desire to once again run for office: "Legally, they (his opponents) cannot stop us from contesting. We shall decide, as a committee, on our next step once an election is called. It is up to the BCCSL membership to decide whether they want me to stand."

The exact date of that election is still unclear as former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga, an expected frontline opponent, fights his own legal battle against a proposed government law preventing politicians from holding office in official sports bodies.

Once Ranatunga's case is cleared from the court then the election can commence and for the confident Sumathipala that will not be a moment too soon.

"This is a crucial juncture in Sri Lanka cricket," he said. "Interim committees mean ad hoc decisions. There has been no direction and no leadership. This is not acceptable to the membership of the BCCSL - the faster we have a democratically elected board the better for Sri Lanka cricket."

He lay the blame for Sri Lanka's dismal recent performance squarely at the feet of the interim administrators: "Players are very sensitive - a small problem can become a very big extremely quickly. There has been no management, no unity, no single voice."

Sumathipala, a successful businessman and the current chairman of telecom giant Sri Lanka Telecom, can draw on strong support in the cricket clubs and is widely expected to sweep back into power once an election is called.