Only ODIs against Zimbabwe

By S.R. Pathiravithana

Sri Lanka will only play the three assigned One-day Internationals against Zimbabwe when they host the latter in November this year.

According to the ICC’s future tours programme Zimbabwe was down to take on Sri Lanka for two Test matches and three one-day Internationals. However as Zimbabwe has withdrawn from the Test Playing status, Sri Lanka will confine themselves to the three ODIs.

When posed with the question if they are looking into the possibilities of increasing the number ODIs, a senior spokesman for SLC said “There is no possibility of increasing the number of ODIs owing to the monetary constrains, playing against countries in that rung, we only spend money, but, there is no return. So we are forced to confine ourselves only to the agreed number of matches. Opening the 2008/09 season the Lankans will fly to Australia four days hence to take part in the three-cornered series that involves hosts Australia and India. This tussle will be on till the end of February.

Following the Australian excursion, the Lankan cricketers will fly to the other end of the globe in March to take on the West Indies in the 3Test, 5ODI series.

In July it will be interesting for the local fans when Sri Lanka host India for a 3 Test 5 ODI series before hosting the visitors from the African continent.

The year 2009 will dawn upon the Lankan cricketers when they are involved in a 2 Test 2-3 ODI series in Bangladesh which starts in December 2008.