SLC confirms DRS for Australia series

Monday, 18 July 2011 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed that the DRS will be used in the upcoming home series against Australia, contradicting earlier reports.

Sri Lankan media had previously reported that a cash-crunched SLC was looking at saving money by not using the DRS, the technology for which is estimated to cost about US$ 5000 a day.

Upali Dharmadasa, the SLC interim committee chairman, told ESPNcricinfo on Saturday: “The use of DRS is a priority for us, since the decision was taken during the ICC annual conference in Hong Kong, to use it in all series, which all the members agreed to.”

A revised version of the DRS, including Hot Spot but not ball-tracking technology, has been made mandatory for all Tests and one-day internationals by the ICC, subject to availability and commercial considerations.

National boards can decide whether to add the ball-tracking tools. Dharmadasa said SLC still had a few questions about the DRS that would be resolved by next week.

“Regarding the predictive path, we have written to the ICC and the final decision will be taken at the SLC meeting on Wednesday.”

The Sri Lankan board has been facing financial difficulties after cost overruns in building stadiums for the 2011 World Cup.

Last month, SLC slashed its budget for the tour from 300 million rupees down to 100 million rupees, after the sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said austerity measures had to be taken. Dharmadasa, however, said “funding for DRS is not an issue.”

Australia arrive in Sri Lanka at the end of this month for a full tour, including two Twenty internationals, five ODIs and three Tests.