SLC wanted change in venue for first practice game in Bangladesh

Niroshan Dikwella (L) and Lasith Embuldeniya pictured during the team departure (Pic credit: SLC)

By BIPIN DANI

Sri Lanka’s touring cricket team, which was supposed to play its first two-day practice match in Chattogram, will now play in Dhaka. 

The visiting team was scheduled to play the inaugural tour game on May 11-12 at MA Aziz Stadium (the first Test match is to be played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS)), but the same has been shifted to the BKSP (Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan) ground in Dhaka. 

The home team to play the practice match against Sri Lanka will be known as the BCB XI and will be led by 
M. Mithun.

“The request to change the venue was received from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC),” one Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) source said over the phone from Dhaka yesterday. “No specific reason was given for this change,” the source further added. 

The Lankan squad, comprising 18 players and 12 support staff, including the tour selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe, reached Bangladesh yesterday morning and will stay in Dhaka till the training and the practice game are over. Whereas, the home team was scheduled to reach the first Test venue on Sunday, i.e., a week before the Test, which is to begin on May 15.

“Maintaining the protocol, there was no thread ceremony held at the SLC office,” the source in Colombo confirmed. 

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who, on Saturday scored 36 runs in his last match (of the first half season) for Yorkshire, is scheduled to leave for Bangladesh immediately after the Sunday match. He is believed to have had chats with the coaching staff.