Colombo: A bitter battle to control Sri Lanka’s cricket establishment has wrecked the schedule for next month’s limited-overs tri-series against India and South Africa.

The dispute, generated by upcoming elections at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), revolves around holding the first four matches of the August 14-29 tri-series in the central town of Dambulla.

The government-appointed interim committee running SLC last week changed the original schedule and decided to hold all seven matches of the series at two venues in capital Colombo.

Officials running in Saturday’s SLC elections, however, said it will shift the first four matches back to Dambulla if it wins the polls .

Prince to lead

Meanwhile, Ashwell Prince will captain South Africa in Sri Lanka after Graeme Smith’s withdrawal from the tour with an ankle injury, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said in a media release on Tuesday. Prince, 29, becomes South Africa’s first black Test captain. Jacques Rudolph will replace Smith. (Agencies)