Positive vibes for Australian tour and Asia Cup to go ahead

India are the current Asia Cup champions

Australians are due to tour Sri Lanka in June

• Sri Lanka delegation to ICC gets wholehearted support from officials

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq    

Despite the political uncertainty and the ongoing protests raging across the country calling for the resignation of the President as well as the Government in power, Sri Lanka has received positive vibes from both Cricket Australia

Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Mohan de Silva

(CA) representatives and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) members for the tour of Australia to Sri Lanka from 7 June to 12 July, and for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka between 27 August and 11 September to be held as scheduled.

Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Mohan de Silva who returned from attending the ICC Board and Committee Meetings in Dubai from 7-10 April affirmed these two series would go ahead after meeting officials of CA and the hierarchy of ACC.

“It was sort of a major victory in the sense that the Australian security team was in Sri Lanka during the height of the problems here. They were here for three days from 7 April to assess the security situation. They will give their independent report later,” De Silva told Daily FT. 

“However, during our meetings with Cricket Australia CEO and other officials they were very supportive and they knew that there were demonstrations and all that taking place in Sri Lanka but there were no civil riots or anything like that. They were very positive and assured us that they will extend their wholehearted support for the tour to go ahead.”

“We also pointed out that our domestic cricket and school cricket was taking place as scheduled and they appreciated that. We had very long discussions about player exchange programs and a lot of other advantages that Australians could offer us.”

De Silva said that there were some doubts concerning hosting of the Asia Cup but Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva was able to persuade the ACC officials that there will not be any hindrance to the tournament.

“As the Australians have also shown a positive response towards coming to Sri Lanka no other alternative venues for the Asia Cup was discussed,” said De Silva. “After the discussions we had in Dubai with the representatives of CA and the hierarchy of ACC they are very positive about making it happen.”

The Asia Cup matches which will be run in the T20 format will most likely be played in Colombo at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium with the participation of six countries – the five full member countries Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and one qualifying team from the Asian region. The qualifiers for the tournament will be held from 20 August onwards.

The format for the tournament is that the six teams will be divided into two groups and will play each other once on a league basis. The top two teams from each group making it four teams will then play each other in the second round also on a league basis. The top two teams will qualify to play in the final.

De Silva said hosting the Asia Cup was important to Sri Lanka because it could generate a lot of income and much needed foreign exchange to the country.    

“We will get a couple of million dollars as revenue for hosting the Asia Cup, we cannot afford to lose that. There are other facilities as well. Much needed foreign exchange will come into the country with all these people coming and staying in hotels. 

“There will be spectators also travelling to watch the matches from India and Pakistan,” said De Silva. “Sale of tickets and guaranteed monies from broadcasting rights we will break even with them and whatever other revenues like sponsorships and other net surpluses.”

De Silva said that the Australian tour would also generate a few million dollars with spectators from Down Under expected to travel to Sri Lanka for the matches.

During the discussions De Silva stated that Sri Lanka were able to strike an arrangement with their Indian counterparts for a regular exchange of junior tours in the under-17 and under-19 categories.

“That is where the standard of cricket is. Instead of sending the team to places like Australia, New Zealand and other countries it is very economical to send our teams regularly to India and back so that they will play competitive cricket. This is something we realised in order to build up our national team,” said De Silva. 

“We had very fruitful discussions with our Indian counterparts. Right now, we maintain a very good rapport with India and they have been very supportive with our requests.” De Silva said ‘A’ team tours were also discussed.

Sri Lanka were represented at the ICC by SLC President Shammi Silva, Secretary Mohan de Silva, CEO Ashley de Silva and other officials.