Focus on white-ball cricket than Tests due to T20 World Cup: SLC

Monday, 30 June 2025 01:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

From now on till the T20 World Cup, the focus will be on white-ball cricket

Sri Lanka play only four Tests in 2025 compared to 30 white-ball games in next seven months

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

The general talk at the end of the two-Test series against Bangladesh, which Sri Lanka won 1-0 (1 drawn), was the fewer number of Tests that the country were playing this year.

Sri Lanka played two Tests against Australia in February and two against Bangladesh which ended last Saturday, which more or less completes the country’s Test quota for this year. Sri Lanka will not be playing another Test match until June 2026 when they tour the Caribbean for two Tests against the West Indies.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), when approached about the paucity of Test matches played for the year, replied that more weightage has been given to white-ball cricket this year in order to prepare the team for the ICC T20 World Cup, which is due to take place in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.

Within the next seven months, Sri Lanka are scheduled to play 30 white-ball matches (ODIs and T20Is) other than the T20I matches in the Asia Cup.

“We are preparing ourselves for the ICC T20 World Cup next year. If we play Test cricket, we will not be able to do that. That’s the main reason why we are playing only four Tests this year,” said SLC CEO Ashley de Silva.

“Other than countries like India, Australia, and England, all the other nations are playing almost the same number of Tests like us this year because of the T20 World Cup.”

“We cannot play more Test matches because we are playing in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) and the matches have been scheduled. For instance, if we are playing India in the next WTC cycle, we can increase the number of Tests against them.”

“We can play countries like Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, or Ireland in Tests but we are preparing ourselves for the T20 World Cup. Instead of white-ball, we can play only Test matches but the commercial value will not be there. We have to somehow have a balance. After the T20 World Cup preparations, we will go in for the Test matches again next year.”

de Silva said in order to give red-ball cricketers exposure, SLC has organised Sri Lanka ‘A’ and Emerging team tours.

“A Sri Lanka ‘A’ team is going to Australia next week and the Sri Lanka Emerging team completed a tour of the West Indies recently. These are ongoing programs which will go on. That is why we have been able to get a very strong bench for the national sides.”

Their FTP (Future Tours Program) till the T20 World Cup is:

July: v Bangladesh (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is) at home

Aug.-Sep.: v Zimbabwe (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is) away

Sep.: Asia Cup (T20I matches), venue to be decided

Oct.-Nov.: v Ireland (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is) at home

Nov.-Dec.: v Pakistan (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is) away

Jan.-Feb.: v England (3 ODIs, 3 T20Is) at home

Feb.-Mar.: T20 World Cup (hosts India and Sri Lanka)

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