Sri Lankans involved in gambling firms will be barred from nation's cricket governing body as officials bid to ericate match-fixing scandals that have dogged sport, government said Thursday. Sri Lankan cricket has been mired in corruption scandals in recent years, including claims of match-fixing ahe of an international Test against England last year.

RE | Virender Sehwag & Brian Lara launch fan-choice game Selector App

Sports Minister Harin Fernando cracks whip

Sports Minister Harin Fernando said he was introducing regulations to bring country in line with International Cricket Council (ICC) provisions that ban individuals with connections to gambling firms from being involved in sport's ministration. "From w on, anyone who is involved in betting or has a close relative involved in betting will t be able to hold office," Fernando told reporters in Colombo.

changes appear aimed at former president of Sri Lanka Cricket, Thilanga Sumathipala, whose family owns a gambling business. Sumathipala, a controversial businessman and politician, is an executive committee member of Sri Lanka Cricket. He has repeatedly denied involvement in gambling side of family business.

RE | Virat Kohli asks Viv Richards his bouncer plan, legend reveals tactic

Sri Lanka Cricket Board's association with corruption

Fernando said earlier this year that ICC considered Sri Lanka one of world's most corrupt cricketing nations, ding sport's local governance was riddled with graft "from top to bottom". In vember, former Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilhara Lokuhettige was suspended for corruption linked to a limited-over league in 2017. He was third Sri Lankan player charged for violating ICC's anti-corruption code, following charges leveled against former captain and ex-chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, and former paceman Nuwan Zoysa. Jayasuriya was found guilty of failing to cooperate with a match-fixing probe and was banned for two years, while Zoysa was suspended over match-fixing accusations. 

RE | Rohit Sharma should settle in opener's slot in Tests says Ganguly

Sri Lanka look to move up on ICC rankings with a win

Sri Lanka will move up to number five of official ICC rankings if y win second Test and series. More importantly, it will give m a strong start in World Test Championship.

Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella was confident his team will put on a good show. "We want to win against world's number two ranked team. It's going to be a different game here and fast bowlers will come into play a lot," he said. "It's a big challenge. Having won one game, we have a big responsibility to win series. We need to keep making good decisions at crunch moments," Dickwella told journalists.

RE | Virat Kohli hints at four-bowler strategy for series opener