SLC commits to building new stadium in Colombo

Sri Lanka Cricket is intent on developing a new 40,000-capability stadium in Colombo in addition to the present R Premadasa Stadium in Khettarama.

Mostly, the board appears to be fascinated the optimum-capability sporting activities location in the region in purchase to bolster bids on major ICC activities in the up coming legal rights cycle. This, regardless of phone calls by gamers for Khettarama’s present schooling services to be increased.

SLC has requested a feasibility examine on the new floor, and according to the board CEO has been “allotted” 26 acres of land by the Sri Lankan authorities, east of the metropolis, in Homagama. On Sunday, SLC president Shammi Silva appeared in a image-opportunity with authorities minister Bandula Gunawardana at the proposed site. While a general public determination to constructing the stadium has been produced, lots of of the details are still to just take condition.

For now, board CEO Ashley de Silva has mentioned that while the authorities – and by extension the taxpayer – will offer land, the charge of the stadium’s building “will have to be borne by SLC”. This would be the 2nd stadium SLC has dedicated to constructing in the past number of a long time. The board experienced also introduced in 2017 that it would create a stadium in the northern metropolis of Jaffna, but has unsuccessful to begin work on that floor. De Silva verified that a feasibility examine on the Jaffna location has not been accomplished still.

“Conversations are going on about the stadium at a superior degree about the floor in Colombo, which the board’s govt has been produced mindful of,” de Silva instructed ESPNcricinfo. “We are seeking at it pretty positively for now and we have bought the procedure started off. The details will have to be labored out.”

The floor at Khettarama, which presently hosts the the vast majority of restricted-overs matches played in Colombo, is now considered by the board to be insufficient in light-weight of the board’s need to bid on two major tournaments in certain.

“We are generating bids for Globe Cups, and you would need to have five stadiums in purchase to host a huge function of that mother nature,” de Silva mentioned. “Tournaments like this deliver revenue into the region.

“The Khettarama floor only has utmost capability of all over 25,000 and we would need to have one more floodlit floor in Colombo for day-night matches. Khettarama is also becoming utilised as a schooling location for all our squads.”

The ICC, even so, does not seem to have stipulated a selected variety of venues in a potential host region, nor needed those venues to have a selected capability, in purchase to make productive Globe Cup bids. These things do occur into engage in when the ICC assesses a potential host nation’s suitability, but typical apply is that updates to present services or building of new stadiums happens only after match internet hosting legal rights have been secured.

In a typical yr, the Khettarama floor is regularly filled to capability for T20 matches, but just about generally has seating to spare for the duration of ODI games. Assessments in Colombo are typically played at possibly the P Sara Oval or the Sinhalese Sports activities Club floor, neither of which have floodlights. Ability is not a worry for the longest structure, in any case.

While SLC is expressing important fascination in constructing a stadium, it has not tackled very long-standing phone calls to update the present schooling services at Khettarama. Substantial-profile gamers have termed for a swimming pool to be built at Khettarama to assist with small-effect rehabilitation work, but five a long time after a pool’s building was place in movement, council acceptance has not still been acquired for the composition.

There is also no indoor nets facility at Khettarama, which has proved a obstacle not only to Sri Lanka’s individual gamers, but to browsing groups, who need to coach indoors at the Nondescripts Cricket Club throughout city.

It is unclear irrespective of whether the ICC has ever indicated that Sri Lanka need to have a selected variety of stadiums of a selected capability in purchase to make a productive bid for internet hosting legal rights. The 2012 Globe T20 was held properly throughout a few venues – Khettarama, Hambantota and Pallekele – while the Dambulla floor has also occur back again into use for day-night cricket. The SSC, P Sara and Galle grounds also keep on being practical options for day games, nevertheless it does not seem as if any of those grounds will get floodlights set up at any time shortly.

In the early sections of this yr, Khettarama underwent renovations. In accordance to de Silva, SLC has not still labored out how a great deal the new stadium in Homagama would charge.