Last Updated on 2 months ago by Charbel Coorey
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup gets underway on February 7, but there is no guarantee that Pakistan will play India in the marquee clash at the historic R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February 15.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) initially threatened to boycott the biennial 20-team tournament as a mark of protest against Bangladesh’s removal from the competition. Later, the Pakistan government allowed the 2009 T20 World Cup champions to participate in the tournament but barred them from locking horns with their archrivals, India.
Sri Lanka Cricket write to Pakistan Cricket Board requesting they reconsider the boycott
As the deadlock continues, newswire.IK is reporting that Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) has urged their Pakistani counterparts to reconsider their stance as the island nation faces financial ramifications in case the match is not played.
SLC President Shammi Silva highlighted the negative impact Pakistan’s boycott would have on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup from a commercial and sporting dynamic standpoint.
Should Pakistan not budge from its stance, Sri Lanka will face the immediate financial impact due to cancelled flights and hotel bookings.
SLC secretary Bandula Dissanayake confirmed to The Indian Express that the board has indeed sent a letter to PCB, requesting it to consider its stance and highlighting what Sri Lankan cricket has done for Pakistan in their difficult times in the past.
The decision will hurt Sri Lanka’s tourism and its economy, Bandula highlighted.
“Yes, we have written a letter to the PCB. We tried to highlight things we have done for Pakistan cricket in their difficult times in the past. We expressed our concerns over their decision, as all the preparations have been done here for the match.
Sri a They are hurting Sri Lanka’s economy. It will hurt tourism here in the country. Our economy will take a hit because of this one decision,” he said, as quoted by Firstpost.
Sri Lankan cricket has notably played a key role in restoring international cricket in Pakistan over the last seven to eight years. The SLC famously refused to call off the tour of Pakistan this past winter, even as several members of the touring party refused to continue playing in the wake of a terror attack near the tourists’ hotel in Islamabad.
