ICC reject Sri Lanka World Cup complaints of ‘cramped bus, poor pitches, no pool’
World Cup organisers have been forced to defend the quality of the tournament’s pitches and facilities after reports of an official complaint from Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka team manager Ashantha de Mel claimed the International Cricket Council have given certain World Cup teams preferential treatment at the expense of his side.
Launching an angry attack on the ICC ahead of Sri Lanka’s match against holders Australia on Saturday, de Mel blasted the quality of pitches, practice facilities, transport and accommodation at the World Cup in England and Wales.
“This is a World Cup where the top ten countries are taking part and I feel that all the participants should be treated equally,” de Mel was quoted as saying by Sri Lankan newspaper Daily News on Friday.
“The pitch being prepared for our match against Australia on Saturday here at the Oval is green. It is not sour grapes that we are complaining but it is very unfair on the part of the ICC that they prepare one type of wicket for certain teams and another type for others.”
De Mel criticised Sri Lanka’s team bus, saying it was more cramped than the double-decker vehicles provided to other teams.
He also slammed the net facilities at Cardiff as “unsatisfactory” and the squad’s hotel in Bristol, which lacks a swimming pool.
He added that the World Cup’s timing, it runs from May 30 to July 14, suggested the ICC valued the Ashes Test series between England and Australia — which is scheduled to follow the World Cup — more than the flagship one-day competition.
But the ICC refuted de Mel’s claims about the pitches and said they worked with all teams equally in a bid to ensure fair treatment.
Fair wicket plea
“We employ an independent pitch advisor to work with the host curators at all ICC events and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 is no different,” an ICC statement read.
“We are happy with the wickets that have been produced across the event so far in English conditions.
“As part of the four year planning process to deliver this event, we have liaised with all teams to ensure they are happy with their set up and are available to work with them should any issues arise that have not been previously anticipated.
“At the heart of our planning is the philosophy that all ten teams are treated equally to enable them to have the best possible preparation for the event.”
Sri Lanka lost to New Zealand in their first World Cup match, then beat Afghanistan before successive games against Bangladesh and Pakistan were washed out.
Asked to elaborate on de Mel’s criticisms, Sri Lanka Dimuth Karunaratne deferred to his manager when he faced the media at a pre-match press conference at the Oval on Friday.
“I have no idea what Ashantha said. You should ask from him. I don’t know anything about it,” he said.
But Karunaratne did suggest that Sri Lanka felt frustrated they had been given several pitches that favoured bowlers rather than batsmen due to extra grass left on the strip.
“If you take this Oval wicket, there’s also a bit of green. I think those are the things,” he said.
“We were not expecting every wicket should be a white top. We are asking for a fair wicket. That’s what we all want and what all the spectators want.”
(AFP)
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Normally Sri Lankans are meek and humble. I know Asantha de Mel. He is a fighter. This is very good. If we are trated badly we should complain. Having said that, in case Australia bat first they will score around 380! If SL bat first they will get out within 40 overs and score around 180. I can be wrong but this is my prediction.
This is Thilanga Sumathipala talk.
He is serving his boss, President Gamrala,
C’mon Guys, don’t whinge, go play the game like sportsmen and do your best to beat the Australians.
Hi Fiery.
Don’t be such an Was. I tend to agree with the comments of the pitch.
ICC are a bunch of wankers and has been for a long time. If they had any brains why would they allow a such a long tournament to take place in England at this time of the year.
I feel for our boys on the loss last night. But if only the umpire had given the right descission giving Finch out in the first place. This is another stupid rule that went against us because the ICC ‘s stupidity.
Sorry guys. Not being unpatriotic. But looking at how SL team has played the world cup, may be the ICC allocated facilities according to how long a particular country going to stay in the tournament.
India.
I may not fully agree with you on this but if u have been watching all the matches you would have noticed that there seems to be a lot of balls aimed at the head and not at the stumps in this world cup. What will it take for these ICC jokers to rule any ball bowled over the batsman’s head a no ball. After all they are supposed be bowling at the stumps. The wickets are defenetely pace friendly.
Having said all that. I must accept that our boys are displaying no common sense in their approach to the game. It is not that they don’t have the talent. Like one of my Indian friends told me perhaps it might be time for our Lankans fan to give our cricketers a bit of what Indian cricketers get from their fans when they play carelessly.
After all they are privileged to be the ones to be representing SL and they should be doing their part. If not there should be repercussions. Unfortunately our cricket board is also the biggest joke so God help the SL cricket fans.
Stanley,
In that case, who has stopped SL aiming balls at heads? SL has played now enough international cricket to know what do do to win and what others do to win. There is no settlement’s game. Except for the rain, it is cricketing weather in the UK. SL team is not good.
Sportsmanship is down the drain in Sri Lanka.
Like everything else, sportsmanship revolves around money making.
When the gentleman’s game was confined to Royal, St Thomas, Ananda and Nalanda there was real sportsmanship to play the game, positively, so that the better team wins the game.
Now that cricket has been devolved to village schools where education is at its worst, what can we expect of sportsmen and sports administrators?
Similarly, where important political leadership has been devolved to Polonnaruwa Royal College, we are experiencing idiocy of the incumbent.
In SL, all what matters now is money.
So you think only the boys from the elite schools should be playing cricket. Typical bias from people who think their shit doesn’t stink. As for the political leadership from Plonnaruwa you should blame your hero RW for this. What goes around comes around.