Sri Lanka minister prevents cricketers from travelling to India

Colombo Dec 5 (IANS) Sri Lanka Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has prevented the national One-day International (ODI) squad from leaving the country for not getting his approval before selecting the team.

The minister had forced nine cricketers of the squad to disembark a flight to India on Monday night.

"The selectors had made the selection on the first (of December) but as they were unable to come to a final decision on the inclusion of certain players the squad was delayed in being sent to me " Jayasekera was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday.

The three-match ODI series between India and Sri Lanka will begin in Dharamsala on December 10.

The country s sports law states that all Sri Lankan national squads are subject to the sports minister s approval.

"How can I approve a team at such short notice? If you go by the sports law it requires the list to be sent three weeks prior to leaving " he told the the Daily Mirror.

"Here they are sending a team just three to four hours before leaving the country. So I had to recall them.

"I have nothing against the players. In fact Thisara (Perera) called me last night from the flight and said Sir we have already boarded . But I told him Nothing doing . If I allowed them to go I am setting a precedent here " he added.

"Most players reached the airport around 9pm on Monday. Left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana had even boarded the flight but they were told to go back home as the team didn t have the approval of the minister of sports " a cricket official was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

--IANS
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