Postponed West Indies Tests will be played in 2018
The Lankan Cricket authorities assured the Sunday Times though there would be a cut in five Test matches in 2013, Sri Lanka would play all these Test matches which have been put off for various reasons.
Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga explaining matters said “These Test matches are drawn into a period of eight years and if the two cricket boards who are involved in re-adjusting a series could play those matches during that time frame.”
Test tours not hampered. They are postponed. However the more profitable limited overs games will go on unhampered. - File photo by Amila Gamage
When asked leaving windows opened for the IPL and the SLPL would be a notorious feature in Sri Lanka’s FTP calendar Ranatunga replied “Our cricket is not bound by the IPL to keep a window, but as the SLPL is ours we have to keep a window for that. However we can shift the SLPL into a slot where it would not interfere with our already projected FTP.”
Thereafter Director Cricket Operations, Sri Lanka Cricket Ashley de Silva explained about the changed itineraries.
After the Australian tour which is scheduled to begin in December this year and go till end January, the Lankan cricketers take on Bangladesh in a two Test and three ODI series which will be followed by the IPL hit West Indian series. However directly after the Champions League tournament 2013, Sri Lanka will play India, West Indies in a tri-nation, instead of the 2 Tests 3 ODIs, 2 T-20s series in June.
De Silva explained “Sri Lanka is scheduled to reciprocate the West Indies FTP tour in 2015 and that will be played in October 2015. There the scheduled tour will go on with 2 Tests, 3 ODIs and 2 T-20s. However the West Indies will make up for the put off series in 2018 in an out of the FTP series in the West Indies where they would take Sri Lanka on a 2 Test, 3 ODI and 2 T-20 series”.
The West Indies series will be followed by the final Champions Trophy 50 over tournament in England.
It has already been announced that the Two Tests against South Africa would be put for 2015. De Silva said that the Cricket Administrations of both countries have found a window in June 2015 to play the two postponed Tests. This will be played in the period of May June.
After taking on the Proteas on a Limited overs series August, the Lankans will be engaged in the Sri Lanka Premier League T-20 tournament which will be followed by the Champions League T-20 tournament in India.
The two Test three ODI series against Zimbabwe will go on as scheduled while there would be short Limited Overs series against New Zealand in mid November.
The Lankans would shutters down for 2013 full tour of Pakistan to be played in the United Arab Emirates where the two teams will be engaged in 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and one T20.
However the Irony is that Sri Lanka would be playing only four test matches for the year 2013 that is also against lowly placed Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
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