Sports

South African series rescheduled to accommodate India, West Indies series in the USA

By S. R. Pathiravithana

Are Sri Lanka and India now paying back for the 2011 World Cup vote for the Indian sub-continent application which they were successful at. Now it seems that Sri Lanka Cricket have had to reschedule their South African home series and do away with their scheduled Test matches to accommodate India in the seven match ODI series.

Now Sri Lanka will play only two Tests against South Africa with both matches to be played in Colombo and the Kandy Test match being struck off the list.

Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will be the co-hosts of the 2011 World Cup which will be played in the Indian sub-continent. Australia and New Zealand were the other contenders for the 2011 World Cup. It is also understood that the West Indies voted along with the Indian sub-continent for the 2011 WC with the understanding that India would agree to this unscheduled series in the United States.

This is a result of India agreeing to play a series of one-day matches against the West Indies in the United States in September. This series was not a part of the future tours programme when Sri Lanka and South Africa agreed on their match schedule earlier.

It is also reported that the South African authorities though agreeing to this last minute reschedule were not happy about the whole issue.

The South Africans will open their tour of Sri Lanka with a three day practice match in Colombo from 22 to 24th July before going in for the first Test match at the SSC grounds from 27th to 31st July.

The second Test match will be played at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium from 4th to 8th of August.

The ODI series proper will begin on the 14th of August with Sri Lanka taking on South Africa at Dambulla where the next three games will also be played. The other matches down to be played at Dambulla are – Sri Lanka vs India on the 16th, India vs South Africa on the 18th and Sri Lanka vs South Africa on the 20th.

Moving on to Colombo the games will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium with Sri Lanka taking on India on the 23rd of August. India will take on South Africa on the 26th of August with the final scheduled for the 29th at the same venue. All matches will be day/night matches.