Cricket Australia Opposes Playing Tests Before White-Ball Games In Sri Lanka

Cricket Australia (CA) has turned down a request from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to hold Test series in the island nation even before white-ball matches.

Starting June 7, the teams will compete in a 35-day 10-match series that will include three T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests, in that sequence.

Because of the country’s fuel and power shortages, as well as street protests caused by the country’s prolonged economic and political crises, Cricket Australia’s refusal has put SLC in a tough spot.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently noted that the country only has a 24-hour supply of petrol, and television footage of huge lines outside gas stations has gone viral on social media.

“We will decide on how to organize the white ball games in the coming days,” SLC secretary Mohan de Silva told Cricbuzz, citing Cricket Australia’s denial of its suggestion to stage the Test ahead of schedule to avoid the fuel problem.

The Cricket Australia board did not respond to a query right away:

The Lankan board thought that the situation would improve in the next few days, therefore it planned to implement the Test matches first.

The Australian board did not react to a request for comment right away, but certain board members have acknowledged this to this website. All parties involved have also agreed that the tour will take place from June 7 to July 12, with the Tests taking place towards the tail end of the schedule, as planned. In two weeks, Australia is anticipated to arrive in Sri Lanka.

The series is crucial financially for the income of SLC, as it has the potential to generate over a million dollars in revenue through rights to broadcast and other avenues.

It will be Australia’s first visit to Sri Lanka in six years for a Test series. The last time the Australians visited the island was in 2016.

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