Sri Lanka Cricket Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ashley de Silva yesterday (14) categorically disproved a local press report which had alleged that the touring West Indies team along with local match officials for the first T20I had been put up in substandard hotels.
The first T20I between hosts Sri Lanka and West Indies was played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) on Sunday (13) and the tourists won it by five-wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. The second T20I is set to commence at the same place today (15).
De Silva said due to previous congested hotel bookings around this time of the year in the North Central Province (NWP), the game’s local controlling body had been compelled to accommodate both teams in two different five-star hotels in Dambulla.
“Due to the congested bookings this time around, we were forced to house both teams in two different star-class hotels, If not we would have housed both teams in the same hotel, as that is the procedure. However, thus far, I am not aware that they (West Indies) have lodged any complaint regarding inadequate hotel facilities in the hotel that they have been accommodated in and will promptly look into it if there has been any issue on that front.”
He therefore rejected accusations that Rovman Powell’s team had officially lodged a complaint with the SLC, related to inadequate hotel facilities (washroom) and dismissed such claims as hyperbole.
It had been alleged that in the hotel where the West Indies and match officials had been put up, ICC Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle had annoying the hotel management over its failure to provide adequate internet and sanitation facilities.
The former Sri Lanka captain had allegedly drawn the attention of the hotel management to the fact that such actions could tarnish the image of the country as one of the world’s most hospitable destinations.
De Silva however agreed that in the hotel where the match officials including match referee Ranjan Madugalle had been housed, the internet had malfunctioned initially.
But, the CEO stressed that no rather the shortcoming had been brought to the notice of the hotel management concerned, the anomaly had been rectified.
It had also been mentioned that the hotel in question, had also been found wanting with regard to facilities offered by it for Sri Lanka, during Afghanistan tour of the country for a T20I series last February.
However, following complaints from the Sri Lankan players at the time, the shortcomings had been addressed, informed sources exposed.
West Indies coached by former skipper Darren Sammy are currently undertaking its first white-ball tour of Sri Lanka since 2019.
Sri Lanka have never beaten the visitors in a bilateral T20I series in their history and on the back of last Sunday’s reverse, will need to win both the remaining two games including the final fixture scheduled for Thursday (17), to break the duck.
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