Australia Expect Tight Security During Sri Lanka Tour

Melbourne: Cricket Australia says it will hold its Sri Lankan counterparts to promises of tight security for its upcoming tour, despite an 80 percent cut to the series' security budget.

Australian Associated Press quoted a CA spokesman Monday saying Australian officials in Sri Lanka on a routine pre-tour visit last week were assured by Sri Lanka Cricket that security for August's three-Test series would be similar to that provided for the recent World Cup.

On Sunday, Sri Lanka Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage ordered the tour's $450,000 security budget slashed to just $80,000, saying he was confident the nation's military and police could provide "very good security at a fraction of the cost."

The CA spokesman said the cricket board was happy with the original security commitments and would "stay close to (Sri Lankan organizers) as the tour date gets closer to make sure there are no changes to those details."

Australia had pulled out of tours in the past citing misgivings over security, and CA said that should be taken as a precedent.

"Our actions have spoken louder than our words on this issue," the CA spokesman said.

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