The T20 World Cup has been marred with controversies. Accusations of match timings based on Indian audiences, horrific pitches, and poor infrastructure and facilities have been leveled against the ICC. Now, we have another claim. Sri Lankan sports minister Harin Fernando has flogged the governing body for blatantly giving preferential treatment to ‘stronger teams’ like India and Pakistan.
Sri Lanka handed an unfair hand?
This development comes after the Sri Lankan team complained about ‘unfair scheduling‘ as they had to travel to four different locations to play their Group Stage matches. As if that wasn’t enough, now they’ve had to endure a 7-hour delay as they made their way to Dallas for their second match against Bangladesh.
“Sri Lanka Cricket has complained to the ICC. Different countries are being treated differently. We have called for an explanation from the organizers of the tournament,” Fernando told the Parliament.
Angelo Mathews, the most senior member of the team and former skipper, also spoke about it. He complained about the practice facilities, flight delays, and other obstacles that may derail Sri Lanka’s title contention.
“Practice facilities are not good. Wickets are not good. Last four to five days have been very challenging for us. We had to cancel practices because a flight was delayed. We are not going to use this as an excuse; we are a team that has won despite obstacles. We want to put all this behind us and do well at the next match.”
What about India and Pakistan?
Yesterday, the news came about how Pakistan’s hotel was moved closer to the Nassau Cricket Stadium after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi complained about their arrangement. India, meanwhile, will play three of their first four matches at the same venue and have been arranged to stay just 10 minutes away from the ground.
Sri Lanka schedule for T20 World Cup
| Match | Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka vs South Africa | June 3 | New York | Lost by 6 wickets |
| Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | June 7 | Dallas | To be played |
| Sri Lanka vs Nepal | June 11 | Lauderhill | To be played |
| Sri Lanka vs Netherlands | June 16 | St. Lucia | To be played |
