New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka may be curtailed (23 April 1998)

Thursday 23, April 1998

New Zealand's tour of Sri Lanka may be curtailed

by SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

New Zealand's cricket tour of Sri Lanka is likely to be curtailed due to their reservations on security in Colombo.

With the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) planning to run the three-nation Independence Cup to celebrate the country's Golden Jubilee Independence on a three-leg round robin basis, New Zealand's tour to Sri Lanka will be extended by a further 14 days from what it was originally planned.

According to the new schedule, there will be nine qualifying round matches plus the final in the Indpendence Cup tournament which will be held from June 19 to July 7. India will be the third participating country.

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board is adamant that there should not be any changes to the Independence Cup tournament. As a result, the Cricket Board may have to forego a Test or two to accede to New Zealand's request.

According to the original itinerary New Zealand are due to arrive on May 15 and play a series of three Tests and two three-day side games.

Negotiations between the NZCC and the BCCSL are currently going on to finalise a suitable itinerary acceptable to both countries.

There is also a possibility that the BCCSL may in an effort to save the Test matches, propose to play the qualifying round of the Independence Cup on a two-leg round robin basis (comprising six matches) and have a best of three finals, thus giving New Zealand the option that if they don't qualify for the finals, they could leave early.

New Zealand's last tour to Sri Lanka in November 1992 was marred by a bomb blast outside their team hotel which resulted in several key players opting out of the tour on compassionate grounds. They were later replaced and the tour went ahead with a revised itinerary.

GALLE - NEW TEST VENUE

The Galle International Stadium may stage its first Test and one-day international during the tour here by New Zealand and the Independence Cup.

Depending on the finalisation of the New Zealand itinerary, Galle has been short-listed as one of the venues to host a Test match and one-day internationals.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)