Kolkata: Cricket fans are in for a cracker of an entertainment as Asian giants India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka would be up against South Africa in the Independence Cup slated to be held in Sri Lanka in 2018.
This tournament will be organised by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to mark 70 years the country’s freedom from the British rule. The island’s cricket board confirmed the series with the mediation of the government and also got the clearances through the diplomatic channels.
Team India’s participation in the tournament is expected to fetch a lot of revenue. According to reports in The Island, “An ODI involving the Indian team fetches around US$ 2 million in terms of television revenue and assuming that India go all the way to the final, SLC could earn a minimum of US$ 8 million from the Indian games alone. The prospect of India playing bitter political rivals Pakistan will be a double bonus.”
The chief of the SLC, Thilanga Sumathipala said that the Indian team had shown eagerness to be a part of this series after the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe had a conversation with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, who is an admirer of the gentleman’s game. Sumathipala said, “India has already given their willingness to play the Independence Cup in 2018 in Sri Lanka after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe discussed this with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi recently.”
Added Sumathipala, “There is a South Africa-India tour coming up and it might clash with the India-Pakistan tour. The Indians are willing to go to South Africa in the period where we are scheduled to tour, so we will discuss with India and South Africa during the next month’s International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Dubai regarding our return tour, Independence Cup and then we all (Sri Lanka, India, South Africa and Pakistan) will accommodate each other.”
Before the series gets underway, the Indian team would tour Sri Lanka for three tests and a few ODI’s. The schedule for that series is yet to be announced.
(With inputs from cricktracker.com)