The BCCI has reportedly rejected SLC’s request to play a few shortest format charity games in December to raise money for victims affected by Cyclone Ditwah, chairman Shammi Silva told reporters. However, India’s August tour of Sri Lanka, which includes two Tests and a couple of Twenty20 matches, will proceed as planned.
With 600 fatalities, Sri Lanka suffered losses of USD 1.6 billion.
“We discussed a tour for two games on December 27 and 29 in aid of Ditwah cyclone reconstruction but could not finalize arrangements on the commercial side in time,” Silva told reporters.
He announced that a comprehensive tour consisting of two Test matches and two Twenty20 internationals will begin in August.
The three Twenty20 international matches against Pakistan that take place in the central town of Dambulla next week would donate their revenues to the cyclone relief fund, according to the SLC head.
Silva said that the governing body is already preparing for the men’s T20 World Cup, which will begin next month. The continuing renovation of the famous SSC grounds is the primary preparation.
“We are spending 1.75 billion LKR for installing flood lights in the short term”, Sujeewa Godaliyadda, the SLC treasurer said.
He stated that the lighting for the centuries-old location of the SLC headquarters will come from Italy, while the pylons were supplied from India.
Long-term upgrades will include increasing the number of spectators from the present 20,000 to 30,000.
As the club with the best facilities in the city, Samantha Dodanwela, CEO of SLC, stated that the ground’s SLC recognition was long overdue.
“In the long term we could hope to host the day night Tests here”, Dodanwela said.
However, none of the SLC officials ever mentioned holding a day or night Test against India, despite what certain news agencies have reported.
On February 7, SSC will host the World Cup’s opening encounter, a day game between Pakistan and the Netherlands. The ground, which hosted Sri Lanka’s first official ODI at home against England in 1982, also has four additional games planned.
