Indians arrival a big boost for Sri Lanka Cricket - Sports Minister

Chris Dhambarage

Sri Lanka Cricket received a tremendous boost when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) provided the green light for the Indian team to tour Sri Lanka for a five match one day international series and a Twenty20 international to be worked off between late January and early February this year.

This was announced by the Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge and the Secretary of the BCCI, N. Srinivasan during a press briefing held at the SLC Headquarters in Maitland Place, yesterday.

The Indian delegation had earlier met President Mahinda Rajapaksa and had pledged their fullest support to Sri Lanka Cricket in an attempt to further strengthen the ties between the two countries.

“We have agreed to visit Sri Lanka and play five One Day Internationals and one Twenty20 match before we go to New Zealand for our pre-fixed tour. The exact dates and the venues will be finalized soon and will be released jointly,” BCCI Secretary, Srinivasan said during the press conference.

Srinivasan said that both India and Sri Lanka have had a very long and very close relationship in cricket among other things and arrived in Colombo to assure Sri Lankan cricket that the BCCI will continue to cherish the relationship that they have and support Sri Lankan Cricket further.

The venues for the one day matches would probably be the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, R. Premadasa Stadium and the SSC grounds in Maitland Place. The Twenty20 international will also be worked off in Colombo.

Srinivasan also thanked Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge for assuring that the Sri Lanka cricketers would be available for the second edition of the high profile Indian Premier League which will be worked off in April.

“We are grateful to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and to the Minister of Sports Gamini Lokuge for having said that they will release the Sri Lankan players for the IPL and that we will have a clear understanding on this which will be inked on the day that we play our Twenty20 match here,” Srinivasan said.

He also thanked the SLC for supporting the BCCI`s stand on the Indian Cricket League. “We are also thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket for their very firm expression of support to the BCCI stand with regards to the ICL.

Now we look forward to an interesting One Day International series and a Twenty20 game in Sri Lanka when our team arrive here”. Srinivasan further said that they are touring Sri Lanka not with the intention of making any money but to honour the request of a very good friend and a neighbour.

The cancellation of India’s tour of Pakistan following the terror attacks in Mumbai provided a gap in the calendar and Sri Lanka too split their hastily-arranged Pakistan tour to accommodate this series.