SLC Claims That Security Concerns And 'Negative Publicity' Were Among The Reasons The Asia Cup 2022 Was Shifted

The Asia Cup was moved from Sri Lanka to the United Arab Emirates as a result of logistical and security concerns, problems obtaining insurance, and other factors brought up by sponsors and broadcasters, as per Sri Lanka Cricket.

SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva stated in a media briefing that they thought that the environment in Sri Lanka was not favourable to garner the confidence of the stakeholders.

“A tournament of this size requires stakeholders in addition to the member nations, such as broadcasters, sponsors, etc. They believed that the unfavorable publicity spread over the world due to the long lines for gas and other issues did not help our cause.”

This “negative publicity” alludes to the economic crisis that Sri Lanka is currently experiencing, where a combination of high debt and low foreign exchange, exacerbated by the Sri Lankan government’s poor fiscal management, has set the way for a fuel and food shortage.

“It was challenging for sponsors to obtain insurance, and it was problematic for TV teams to visit Sri Lanka because of security concerns. The representatives from the other nations wanted to go but were not ready to do so “said Ashley de Silva, CEO of SLC.

‘Sri Lanka’s cause that the Lanka Premier League’: SLC

“The Lanka Premier League, which was originally scheduled to start in the first week of August but was delayed owing to the current situation and will now take place in November, did not help Sri Lanka’s cause” as per SLC CEO Ashley de Silva.

“The franchise sponsors were hesitant to visit Sri Lanka. A sponsorship agreement must allow the sponsors to travel freely throughout the nation in addition to funding the team. Sponsors attend events to promote their products, and they believed that at this time, this type of competition would not provide them with the necessary exposure.”

The Asia Cup is set to take place from August 27 to September 11.

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