As you watch the test match you can’t but help feel that the sports economy is much more important to Sri Lanka at the moment than it has ever been. The country is going through a period of economic turmoil in the wake of the war in the middle east and during my last visit a couple of months earlier, many had flagged the issue saying price rise was becoming a very alarming proposition. Auto drivers for example, tuk tuk in Sri Lanka as they are known, repeatedly highlighted their concerns and said many were apprehensive how the business would turn out going ahead.
In this otherwise grim scenario, sports is a breath of fresh air. Sri Lanka successfully staged the Lanka Premier League, which was played between July and August and by every yardstick was a success. Stars like Zaheer Khan have now bought into the league and it is now evident that Anil Mohan Sankhdhar and his team in partnership with the SLC has been able to create a viable brand for the eco system.
The India test series, which followed the LPL has also seen good support. Men and women have come to watch in Galle and Colombo and as mentioned by the SLC top management to journalists in an informal chat in Colombo, so far at least the sports economy has been able to insulate itself from the larger economic ramblings going on in the country.
This is where Test Twenty comes in. Sri Lanka and Test twenty seem to be a perfect fit. The concept has emanated from India and it is the best if it is played in the Indian subcontinent. With the organisers wanting to host it in November, Sri Lanka emerges as a very viable option. November in North India is terrible with pollution and is thus ruled out when you are wanting to host a tournament for the youth. In the East the light starts to fade by 4pm and 80 overs get very difficult to complete in a day.
Sri Lanka on the other hand presents a very good option. The grounds are very well equipped to handle rain, the new tournament will be great for tourism and business, it will bring in decent revenue and open up the opportunity for the local youth. If the tournament is held in the Colombo Cricket Club for example, it will not only give local youth cricketers a chance, it will also add much to the city’s tourism in November, a month where tourist influx is modest compared to the festive season in December.
Sri Lanka has played host to multiple major cricket events this year and is trained in hosting foreign visitors. Colombo as a city is extremely cosmopolitan and the food is fantastic. In every sense the fit is organic. There are multiple local clubs and grounds for training and in every way the marriage can work. Now it is to be seen if the organisers are able to work with the SLC to get things going and stage the inaugural season in November.
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