International Indoor Cricket tournament from Sep 15 to 24
The Sri Lanka team training for the upcoming challenge - Pic by Ranjith Perera
The Sri Lanka Indoor Cricket Association had taken a huge step by organising a four nation cricket tournament to be played from September 15 to 24 at the Austsia International Stadium, Thalawatugoda. A highly competitive tournament will be on show with the participation of teams from Australia, India, Singapore along with hosts Sri Lanka.
The tournament will be segmented as: Men’s National Teams, Women’s National Teams, 22 and Under Men and 22 and Under Women’s.
Hiran de Mel, Head of Technical and Operations at the Ceylon Indoor Cricket Association, who also the first umpire in Indoor Cricket and the first Sri Lankan umpire to officiate in a World Indoor cricket tournament is taking a great effort in seeing the tournament a success and is closely watching the progress of our cricketers along with the coaches.
A Sri Lankan based in Australia, Cedric Anthony, also known as the “God Father of Indoor Cricket in Sri Lanka” embedded the game in Sri Lanka in the year 2000 at the Austasia complex. Later Anthony was assisted by two other Australians Stan Nel and Craig Slocombe in the effort and thus Indoor Cricket not only came to be but, became a fad and a fantasy.
First, the newly formed body played an invitational tournament with the participation of the1996 World Cup winning team which included cricketers in the caliber of Arjuna Ranatunga, Muttiah Muralitharan, Roshan Mahanama, Aravinda de Silva, Chaminda Vaas to name a few. Later a mercantile tournament was organised comprising of 46 teams and that became an instant hit. During that tournament there were three game were played a day. Yet, all started in the evening. In addition three domestic tournaments were staged as Mercantile, Banks-with 15 teams taking part. Then there was also the Club Open and a Masters’ tournament going on. Encouraged by that the body was enrolled as a member of the World Indoor Cricket Federation.
The spice of the the matter was when a Lankan indoor team made a tour Down Under in 2001/2 — where Indoor cricket concept was born. Mind you during that tour the Lankans became the first nation to beat Australia in an Indoor Test.
Sri Lanka participated in the first World Cup in 2002 in Wellington, New Zealand and took part in 2004, 2009, 2011, and 2007 world cups and showed a promising development in the game. The most memorable world cup was in 2004. Sri Lanka made history by playing in the finals with Australia and went down fighting to lose by just 15 runs. With a short history of the game, Sri Lanka had the distinction of staging a World Cup too.
In this game everyone player has to be an all-rounder because as even the wicket keeper has to bowl. The team comprises of eight players who were placed on both sides of the wicket of four each and bowling from one end of the wicket. The ball becomes dead only after the fall of a wicket and at the end of an over.The umpire who stands in the middle is having a huge responsibility even handling the score book. He relates to the spectators of the scores through a microphone.