Colombo, June 27: India and New Zealand will fly out to Sri Lanka to play a tri-nation ODI series in August this year, ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said the tournament, which would be an unscheduled one in the Sri Lankan cricket calendar, is expected to take place from August 4 or 6. The agreement was reached among the Sri Lankan, Indian and New Zealand officials during their representatives’ visit to London for the ICC meeting this week.
”We came to an agreement in discussions we had with the Indian board president Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan and New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan,” Ranatunga said on his arrival from London yesterday.
”Sri Lanka Cricket would like to express its appreciation to the officials of BCCI for agreeing on an unscheduled tour, which would add an additional commercial benefit to the stakeholders of SLC.
Moreover, a viewing pleasure to the cricket loving public in Sri Lanka,” he added. New Zealand is due to tour Sri Lanka in mid-August for a series of two Tests, two Twenty20s and ODIs. Ranatunga said the dates for the triangular, comprising four matches including the final, would be finalised shortly.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket has also been invited by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to participate in the Champions League Twenty20 to be held in India from October 8 to 23. The SLC has welcomed the BCCI’s invitation describing it as an opportunity that will benefit Sri Lankan provincial teams to gain more exposure and experience.
—–Agencies