Energy company Lanka IOC has signed a three-year deal worth 18 million rupees (approx. USD 127,000) to sponsor Sri Lanka’s A team. The A team is scheduled to take part in nine tours – both home and away – with Lanka IOC sponsorship.”I’m delighted that IOC has come forward to sponsor the A team, and they will also be the official lubricant partner for Sri Lanka Cricket,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “We are not looking at developing the cricket just to have a good national team. We cannot get there unless we also have a good back-up team. When Lanka IOC wanted to be associated with the SLC, they wanted to be part of developing Sri Lankan cricket.”Lanka IOC has not been a direct sponsor of cricket in the past decade, but it had employed Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis as brand ambassadors in the past. The sponsorship agreement will end in 2018.