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COLOMBO, Jan 3: India are planning a series against Sri Lanka to compensate for their aborted tour of Pakistan.
Officials of both national boards have confirmed they are in talks over the tour, which will take place sometime over the next couple of months – most likely between Sri Lanka’s current tour of Bangladesh and their trip to Pakistan, tentatively scheduled for the middle of February.
“We are about 60 per cent certain that we could arrange a series for the Sri Lanka team with India shortly,” Sri Lanka’s sports minister Gamini Lokuge told the Daily Mirror. “We have had successful discussions with the Indian cricket board and at the moment we are finalising the schedule.”
An Indian board official confirmed that negotiations with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are underway.
“We are trying hard to recover losses the BCCI has incurred this year. There is a likelihood of Sri Lanka playing at least three ODIs against India before their Pakistan tour,” the official said.
India toured Sri Lanka last year for three Tests and five One-day Internationals.
Sri Lanka’s Pakistan tour has been subject to some uncertainty but Lokuge echoed comments from SLC chief executive Duleep Mendis that it was on.
“We are confirming the cricket tour to Pakistan, there is no change in it,” he said.
However, Sri Lanka have sought a shorter tour, which will help them accommodate the series against India. SLC had initially agreed to tour Pakistan – following India’s pullout – from Jan 20 for three Tests and five One-day Internationals.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials said Sri Lanka later wanted it changed to a shortened tour of two Tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 International from Feb 15. The new dates would, however, clash with Pakistan’s tour to Bangladesh, for which they depart on March 3.
The revised dates are believed to be on the suggestion of Sri Lanka’s players, who wanted a break after their Bangladesh tour. It is not yet clear how they will react to the news of another series before the Pakistan tour.—Agencies
