India vs Sri Lanka: Most Players Left Stadium Before Last Inspection, Says ACA Secretary

The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka that was abandoned without a ball being bowled. While the rain stopped in less than an hour after the scheduled start, the ground staff could not prepare the pitch for the match to go ahead.

While they covered the pitch in time, the covers were just not good enough to stop water from dripping on the pitch. The ground staff then resorted to various measures, ranging from using hair-dryers to steam irons, in order to dry the wet patches near the middle of the pitch, but to no avail. And almost three hours after the game was about to start, the umpires called off the game.

And now another controversy has erupted with reports claiming that the players had left the stadium even before the final inspection was done. The last inspection for at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati might have been conducted at 9:30 p.m. — 24 minutes before the match was officially called off — but Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Secretary Devajit Saikia has revealed that the majority of the players had already left at 9 p.m.

Saikia said even he was surprised how the last inspection was done by umpires Chettithody Shamshuddin, Nitin Menon, Anil Chaudhary and match referee David Boon at 9:30 p.m. when most of the players had left the stadium at 9 p.m.

“Well, that is a mystery to me and I will have to find it out because most of the players had left by 9 p.m. That announcement (calling off at 9:54 p.m.) was strategic to ensure that the crowd didn’t turn unruly. That is the usual protocol that is followed. I have given you the hard facts,” he told IANS.

Saikia further said that the match officials had made it clear to the groundstaff that the ground had to be ready for action by 8:45 p.m else the game would have been abandoned.

“For one hour and three minutes there was heavy shower and umpires said we need to get the ground ready by 8:45 p.m. otherwise the match will be abandoned. 57 minutes was given to the groundsmen to get it ready. If we had some more time, we could have readied the ground. There was dampness throughout the pitch due to reverse osmosis system and what was said on commentary, I can’t comment on that,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the second game will take place in Indore on Tuesday (January 7) while the third one will take place in Pune on January 10. Following the T20Is, India will lock horns against Australia in a three-match ODI series before flying to New Zealand for a full-fledged series.

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