Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) will incur losses while the country’s tourism industry will suffer if Pakistan sticks to its stand of not playing India in Colombo next Sunday. These financial implications were highlighted in a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Bandula Dissanayake, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary, told The Indian Express. Though the month-long tournament kick-starts at the Singhalese Sports Club here on Saturday with Pakistan taking on The Netherlands, it is the Pakistan government’s decision to stop their team from playing against India that has emerged as the talking point in Sri Lanka. In the letter to the PCB, the SLC also reminded them about their national team’s previous tours to Pakistan, when most other international teams were reluctant to travel because of security-related issues. “We have informed them of the economical impact in case of a forfeiture,” Dissanayake said. “We have told them to consider what Sri Lanka stands to lose in case the match doesn’t go ahead. There are a lot of stakeholders who will be directly and indirectly affected if the match doesn’t go ahead. We have reminded them about how we have supported them in the past as well. From the demand for tickets, it was evident that we were going to receive a huge boost economically as people who turn up for the fixture will definitely spend a few more days exploring the country. So it is a huge loss for everyone. It is a grim picture,” Dissanayake said. ALSO READ | Mohammed Siraj to replace injured Harshit Rana in T20 World Cup squad Those in the hospitality sector, in particular hotels and private-tour package operators, are hoping for the best. Sanjaya Wickramasinghe, a tour operator, is keeping fingers crossed. “Even our peak season was affected because of Cyclone Ditwah (in November). We thought we could make up with this match because those who come here spend a few more days and explore other parts. Not just from India, we had bookings from Singapore and the Gulf because of the close proximity. But most of the bookings have been cancelled,” Wickramasinghe said. With two India-Pakistan matches sold out during the 2023 Asia Cup, Colombo’s Premadasa which has a bigger capacity and easier logistics was chosen as the venue instead of the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Tickets for the match sold out in minutes after it went online. The SLC was expecting a windfall from gate money too. Hotels in Colombo have also seen room-booking cancellations. Until last week, hotel rooms were going at a premium. Three-star hotels that usually charge around $45, had increased room rates to upwards of $60. Valentines’ Day falling on Saturday and the match on Sunday added to the rush.Story continues below this ad “We were actually sold out that weekend, but now there are no takers. We’d anticipated a rush and had made elaborate arrangements for the guests. At the moment, it doesn’t look promising,” a manager, at a hotel in the heart of Colombo, said. Not having hosted any big-ticket events since the 2014 edition of the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka had a lot riding on the India vs Pakistan match. With its own team no longer among the best in the world, the arrival of India to these shores would have been a boost. Even matches involving Pakistan have been well-attended, in particular at the Premadasa Stadium. Pakistan captain Salman Agha was asked about the setback for Sri Lanka because of the lack of an India versus Pakistan match. “I know Sri Lanka loves us and we love them as well. They’ve always supported us and that’s what we have done as well. They come in numbers when we play against Sri Lanka or any side in Sri Lanka. So there are three other games. They can come and watch that. We will try to entertain them and try to win the games for them,” he said.
SLC writes to PCB to consider playing India, cite financial loss and past support extended
