Sri Lanka feel squeeze as sponsors take flight

Colombo: Sri Lanka's economic slowdown has taken its toll on the island's hugely popular sport of cricket as long-term sponsor disappear, sports minister Gamini Lokuge said on Monday. The national team, which includes Test cricket's leading wicket-taker Muttiah Muralitharan, failed to attract backers when sponsorship for the team and players' clothing was put up for bidding this month. The global economic crunch and the economic slowdown in Sri Lanka has had an impact on companies coming forward to sponsor our national team, Lokuge said. It's a shame.