India’s planned tour of Sri Lanka in August, featuring two Tests and two T20 Internationals, will go ahead as scheduled, Sri Lanka Cricket chairman Shammi Silva confirmed on Friday.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has turned down a request from Sri Lanka Cricket to play two additional charity T20 matches in December to raise funds for victims of Cyclone Ditwah.
Sri Lanka has suffered losses estimated at $1.6 billion due to the cyclone, with around 600 people losing their lives.
Silva said discussions were held for two charity games on December 27 and 29 but the proposal could not be taken forward.
“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 reiterated that the full tour in August would include two Tests and two T20 Internationals.
Silva added that Sri Lanka Cricket would still contribute to relief efforts, noting that the proceeds from the three T20 Internationals scheduled next week against Pakistan in the central town of Dambulla would be donated to the cyclone recovery fund.
Providing an update on preparations for the men’s T20 World Cup starting next month, Silva said the work was in full swing, with the primary focus on refurbishing the Sinhalese Sports Club ground.
The historic venue is undergoing significant upgrades, including the installation of floodlights.
“We are spending 1.75 billion LKR for installing flood lights in the short term”, Sri Lanka Cricket treasurer Sujeewa Godaliyadda said.
He said the pylons had been imported from India while the lighting system would come from Italy for the centuries old venue that also houses the Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters.
Godaliyadda added that longer-term plans include increasing the spectator capacity at the ground to 30,000 from the current 20,000.
Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Samantha Dodanwela said recognition of the SSC ground was long overdue.
“The SLC recognition of the ground was long overdue as it was the club with the best facilities in the city,” Dodanwela said.
Looking ahead, he said, “In the long term we could hope to host the day night Tests here”.
However, contrary to reports by some newswire outlets, no Sri Lanka Cricket official has spoken about staging any day night Test against India.
The SSC ground will host the first match of the T20 World Cup, a day game between Pakistan and the Netherlands on 7 February.
Four more matches are also scheduled at the venue, which hosted Sri Lanka’s first official One Day International at home against England in 1982.