Elections force Cricket Board to reschedule matches

With parliamentary elections now scheduled for December 5 the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) has been forced to reschedule itineraries for the West Indies three-Test tour of Sri Lanka and the one-day international triangular which follows.

BCCSL Interim Committee Coordinating Secretary Kushil Gunaskera said Tuesday that the Cricket Board have been advised by the police to avoid playing matches three days prior and three days after the election date.

"We had a pre-tour police briefing at Police headquarters where the DIGs and the SSPs covering all the divisions where the matches are scheduled to be played were present," said Gunasekera.

"They made these recommendations to us and we are now in the process of rearranging some of the matches closer to the date of the election," he said.

The matches that are likely to be affected are the second Test at the SSC, which may have to be brought forward by a day (starting on November 21 instead of 22) and the third Test at the Asgiriya International Stadium, Kandy which may start on November 28 and end on December 2 instead of December 4.

Also matches of the one-day international triangular involving Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe and the practice matches may also have to be altered.

The tournament is scheduled to commence on December 8 in Kandy with the final on December 19 in Colombo. Zimbabwe and West Indies are also scheduled to play one-day practice matches on December 2, 5 and 6 in Kandy prior to the commencement of the tournament.

Gunasekera said the Kandy matches may have to be rescheduled for a later date.

During the November 1994 general elections, the second Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan was cancelled reducing the series to two Tests.