![Gossip Lanka News [English]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYm2aFFq-bIW1nWX-RrqnPFoIsVos6_VCVz8BpLt0QJi55GNXHXC2fugeRvL0qUStEuCfs7Sfu6ZiSlhrkldxfGuE_wzy5gitY6rMZ2KSi8VBbGvkgXLks37RwZV-4-HKbWiNLRxB8C_r1e4z3mpxFTMPDJPEADoG8E-bZteWFipeD5KNGbjvCfqEfKw=s300 "Gossip Lanka News [English]")
Former head coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team, Mr. Chandika Hathurusingha, has filed a lawsuit against Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Mr. Hathurusingha filed this case with the aim of obtaining compensation for the financial loss and damage to his reputation caused by his unfair dismissal from the position before the end of his contract period.
A team of legal professionals, including President's Counsel Romesh de Silva, appearing on behalf of Sri Lanka Cricket, argued before the court that Sri Lanka Cricket is not an incorporated body. Their argument was that in a context where the cricket institution is not an incorporated body, there is no legal possibility to pursue such a case against it before the International Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Despite this legal argument, Mr. Hathurusingha had previously withdrawn his case but has since refiled it in a different manner.
It was previously reported that the compensation amount Mr. Chandika Hathurusingha sought from Sri Lanka Cricket was USD 5 million. According to Mr. Mohan de Silva, Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, Mr. Hathurusingha made this compensation claim via a letter, taking into account the full salary due for the remaining 18 months of his contract and the damage caused to his professional reputation as an international coach due to his wrongful dismissal. It is stated that the salary alone for the remaining period exceeds one million dollars.
Authorities moved to remove Mr. Hathurusingha and his support staff after the Sri Lankan team finished sixth in the last Cricket World Cup. The then Sports Minister, Harin Fernando, accused Mr. Hathurusingha of failing to deliver results and being paid an exorbitant salary of USD 60,000 per month, stating that a foreign coach could have been hired for half that amount.
However, The Island newspaper reported that at the time of dismissal, the cricket institution had only agreed to pay six months' salary as compensation.
Meanwhile, it was revealed at the COPE Committee that Sri Lanka Cricket had to spend approximately 20 million rupees in legal fees for the case filed by Mr. Hathurusingha. It was also reported that Sri Lanka Cricket has decided to file a separate lawsuit to recover these legal costs from Mr. Hathurusingha to offset the financial loss incurred by the cricket institution.