Despite assurances from both Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and Cricket Australia (CA) that the month-long series will take place, the worsening economic and political situation in Sri Lanka has raised doubts regarding Australia’s upcoming tour.
“At this time, the excursion will go as planned. In the coming days, we’ll assess the issue and make a decision “The SLC’s secretary,
Mohan de Silva, said Cricbuzz on Wednesday (May 4).
In this context, several SLC stakeholders questioned whether the day-night games should even exist in the first place, with some feeling that the white-ball games could be shifted to day games. De Silva said a decision would be made soon, but an SLC official said the board isn’t reliant on the national grid.
Charith Senanayake
“We have our own generators and are not reliant on power from the government. If there is a fuel scarcity, things will be different “Former Sri Lanka national team manager Charith Senanayake agreed. “The game has no influence on the political circumstances, and the SLC is always apolitical.”
SLC
“Whether the game is played during the day or at night is up to the host nation,” a CA official said, confirming that the tour will take place. “The tour’s status has remained unchanged. Our chief of security confirmed that neither party has any reservations about the tour going forward as planned. In June, the team will arrive in Sri Lanka.”
CA and SLC assurances
Despite the CA and SLC’s promises, Cricbuzz can reveal that both boards have expressed worries to its stakeholders, with both stating that a lot would depend on how the issue plays out in the next 30 days.
“We know what will happen in the next week, so a month is too lengthy to forecast anything.” Life goes on amid any civil turmoil, and that is what is happening in Sri Lanka (too). The country is insolvent, and the political situation is tumultuous and unpredictable. Outside the president’s house, political activists are agitating, but I don’t believe he is concerned.
“With their previous experience, the law enforcement agencies are accommodating, and there is no commotion on the streets. People will be listening to music and watching cricket at home. However, it will only take one insane person to break the silence, therefore we can’t foresee what will happen when the series premieres more than a month from now “Malinda Seneviratne, a political analyst based in Colombo, agrees.
The value of the tours
The series is vital for the cash-strapped SLC. The international value of the tour is projected to be USD 2 million. Internal media rights are worth roughly $300,000, while the Lanka Board can earn up to USD 3 million in total from ground advertisements and other sources of revenue. The cost of production, on the other hand, would be the same. The SLC might earn up to $1 million at the end of the series, a significant sum given the country’s $50 million in foreign exchange reserves.
Edited by: Khushi Thakur
Published by: Aditya Negi
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