Sri Lanka lose USD 125,000 on Windies series

Colombo, Jan 29 (AFP) Sri Lanka Cricket today said it hadlost USD 125,000 after bad weather forced a one-day seriesagainst the visiting West Indies to be rescheduled.

The series was due to be played in December but has beenpostponed to this month and early February, and reduced fromfive matches to three.

Sri Lanka Cricket Chief Executive Ajith Jayasekera saidthe board lost television fees of USD 25,000 for each of theoriginal meetings.

"The matches couldn''t be played and we didn''t get the feefor each match," Jayasekera told AFP.

He added that the partner broadcaster Ten Sports wouldnot show the current series as it was considered as a separatetour rather than part of the previous programme.

The matches will still be shown by Sri Lanka''s nationaltelevision station Rupavahini, but will not be broadcast tointernational audiences.

They were to have been played at two of Sri Lanka''s WorldCup venues but will now all be held at the Sinhalese SportsClub in Colombo.

But Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara played down anysignificance to the switch ahead of the World Cup.

"Our mental approach has to be regardless of gettingexperience on the wickets. There is a World Cup to be played,and played well. So our preparation is going to be the same,"he said.

"We are strong enough and we have the character to dealwith whatever comes our way."

Sri Lanka, the losing finalists of the 2007 edition, arein Pool A with defending champions Australia, Pakistan, NewZealand, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada.

The tournament starts in Dhaka on February 19. (AFP) SNK