Sri Lanka's cricket crisis has deepened with the speaker of the national parliament set to order a full inquiry into allegations of corruption.

The Sri Lankan Daily News says the speaker, Anura Bandaranayake, is to appoint a special committee made up of members of the governing coalition and the opposition.

They will have power to investigate the financial dealings of the former Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), which was headed by Thilanga Sumathipala.

Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella sacked the Board two months ago and appointed an interim panel to run the game.

His decision followed a court ruling that the BCCSL could not elect new officers at its annual general meeting, because notices for the election had not been properly issued.

"It is the fault of the Board for not furnishing accounts properly," the minister explained.

An inquiry ordered by the minister has already begun, but the parliamentary group would have overall jurisdiction.

Last month Sumathipala demanded an apology and damages of 500,000 rupees (approx. �3,865) after accusing the minister of making defamatory statements against him.

But no such apology was forthcoming.

The government, meanwhile, is having to fund tours by India and New Zealand in July and August.

It is willing to provide up to 25 million rupees (�193, 200) to enable the tours to go ahead.

The move follows a court order preventing the interim panel from operating the Board's bank accounts.

The order will stand until the Commercial High Court has heard arguments from both sides in a case field by Sumathipala.

He was elected as BCCSL president in 1998 and was the man behind the country's newest international cricket venue at Dambulla, which was built in just six months.