No DRS for Australia-Sri Lanka series for lack of sponsor

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee chairman Upali Dharmadasa said the host country is not in a position to spend $150,000 for the facility for the one-and-a-half-month long series, comprising three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals.

“We have decided not to have it for the Australian series,” Dharmadasa was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.

Dharmadasa, however, added that the board might consider using the system if they can rope in a sponsor.

The daily reported that host broadcaster Ten Sports will pay $750,000 per Test, $245,000 per ODI and $250,000 per Twenty20 for the series to the Sri Lankan board as per their agreement.

The SLC is to receive a total of $3.975 million for the entire tour from Ten Sports, who are considered reliable pay masters, having been tied up with the SLC for nearly nine years now and have secured the rights as Sri Lanka Cricket TV partner till 2013.

Ten Sports reportedly have already secured a leading Asian electronics company as a sponsor for the series but is struggling to get more as most of the leading sponsors, who are based in India, have tightened their purse strings after the ICC World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL).