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Waseem complains Football Federation and decided not to participate in the Asian Cup qualifying round.

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Waseem Raseek is the highest goal-scoring footballer in recent times who has brought many victories to Sri Lanka in football. However, he has recently stated that he is very concerned about the Sri Lankan football administration. He also announced that he would not be participating in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC Asain Cup 2023) qualifiers final round.

He pointed out that the main reason for the unavailability of the qualifying round of the Asian Cup was the irresponsible acts of the Football Federation Administration. A few days ago, in response to an email from the Football Federation asking Waseem when he would return to the national team and his demands, he announced that he would take part in the Asian Cup qualifying round from the 28th of May but the administration should fulfil his agreed promises in the past.

Waseem stated that he had faced similar breaches of promise before. He also said that he was not given proper treatment at the national football training camp in Beddagana and was not even given proper food and drinks.

He also noted that the Football Federation has not awarded contracts to players as promised to the national team in the past. At a meeting in July 2021, he said they were promised a one-year contract with a salary, but that did not happen later. Waseem said the federation did not respond to his inquiry on this same.

“I’m a professional footballer. I’m a married father. Everywhere I played before I had the right contract amount and time, and every player had insurance. When sudden injuries occur when we play, in such cases, money for surgery can be obtained from the insurance.

He also said that some people in the federation had tried to damage his professional career by smearing him with mud and he was ready to face them.

Waseem also said that he had decided not to play in the Asian Cup qualifiers due to the selection of new players with less international experience who were found in the recent inter-provincial football tournament without selecting the players in the national team.

Sri Lanka has shown the best results so far in the Asian Cup qualifiers. This is not the time to give new players an international experience. Sujan and I have been planning for this tournament for a long time.

This is the most important competition for us. So this requires better-experienced players. If any match ends in victory, that pride goes to the management. But failure seems to be the players’ fault.

“Recently, the Sri Lankan football team has emerged as one of the best teams in South Asia. We have the support of players from countries like India and the Maldives. If we lose that respect like this they will look at us again and laugh. Another, I came to play for Sri Lanka after playing in foreign Football clubs. That is why the spectators in our country still treat me as a foreigner. They expect me to play to the fullest. But in a situation like this, it is difficult for me to give my fullest strength. ”

Asked if he would play for the national team again, he said he was definitely interested in playing for the national team.

වසීම්ගෙන් පාපන්දු සම්මේලනයට චෝදනා – ආසියානු කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගාවලියට සහභාගි නොවී සිටිමටත් තීරණයක්…..

වසීම් රාසික් පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩාවෙන් මෙරටට ජයග්‍රහණ රැසක් අත්කර දීමට උර දුන් ප්‍රමුඛ පෙළේ පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩකයෙකි. කෙසේවෙතත් ඔහු ශ්‍රී ලාංකේය පාපන්දු පරිපාලනය සම්බන්ධව දැඩි කනස්සල්ලකින් පසු වන බව මෑතකදී ඔහු විසින් ම දන්වා තිබුණි. එමෙන් ම ඔහු ඉදිරියේ දී පැවැත්වීමට නියමිත ආසියානු පාපන්දු කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගාවලිය සඳහා සහභාගි නොවීමට තීරණය කර තිබේ.

ආසියානු පාපන්දු කුසලානයට සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගාවලියට සහභාගි නොවී සිටිමට ඔහු තීරණය කළේ ඇයි දැයි විමසීමේදි ඔහුගේ පිළිතුර වූයේ මේ සඳහා හේතු ගණනාවක් බලපා ඇති බවයි. ඒ අතරින් ආසන්නතම හේතුව ලෙස ඔහු දැක්වූයේ පාපන්දු සම්මේලනයේ වගකීම් විරහිත ක්‍රියාකලාපයයි.

මීට දින කිහිපයකට පෙර පාපන්දු සම්මේලනයෙන්, ඔහු නැවත ජාතික කණ්ඩායමට එකතු වන්නේ කවදාද සහ ඔහුගේ ඉල්ලීම් විමසමින් වසීම් වෙත එවූ ලිපියට පිළිතුරු ලෙස මේ මස 28 දින සිට ආසියනු කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගාවලියට සහභාගි වන බව දන්වා ඇති අතර ඔහුට මින් පෙර ලබාදුන් පොරොන්දු ඉටුකරන ලෙසත් දන්වා තිබේ.

තමන්ට මීට පෙරත් මෙවැනි ම පොරොන්දු පැහැර හැරීමේ සිදුවීම්වලට මුහුණ දීමට සිදුවී ඇති බව වසීම් ප්‍රකාශ කළේය. එමෙන් ම බැද්දගානේදී පැවති ජාතික පාපන්දු පුහුණු කඳවුරේදී ඔහුට නිසි සැළකීමක් නොකළ බවත්, ඔහුට නිසි ලෙස ආහාරපාන පවා ලබා නොදුන් බවත් සඳහන් කළේ ය.

එමෙන්ම පාපන්දු සම්මේලනය විසින් මින් පෙරදීත් ජාතික කණ්ඩායමට පොරොන්දු වූ පරිදි ක්‍රීඩක කොන්ත්‍රාත්තු ලබා නොදීම පිළිබඳව ද මෙහිදි ඔහු සඳහන් කළේ ය. ඒ 2021 ජූලි මස තිබූ හමුවකදි ඔවුන්ට වසරක ක්‍රීඩක කොන්ත්‍රාතුවක් වැටුපක් සහිතව ලබා දෙන බව ඔවුන් පොරොන්දු වූවත් පසුව එසේ සිදුනොවූ බව ඔහු පැවසීය. ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඔහු සිදු කළ විමසීම්වලදි සම්මේලනයෙන් නිසි ප්‍රතිචාරයක් නොලැබූ බවද වසීම් ප්‍රකාශ කළේ ය.

“මම වෘත්තිය පාපන්දු ක්‍රීඩකයෙන්. මම විවාහක පියෙක්. මම මීට පෙර ක්‍රීඩා ක‍ළ සෑම තැනකදීම නිසි කොන්ත්‍රාත් මුදල හා කාලයක් තිබුණා. ඒ වගේම සෑම ක්‍රීඩකයෙක්ට ම රක්ෂණයක් තිබුනා. අපිට ක්‍රීඩා කරන විට හදිසි ආබාධ වෙන්න පුළුවන්. ඒ වගේ වෙලාවක රක්ෂණයෙන් අපිට අපේ ශල්‍යකර්ම සඳහා මුදල් ලබාගන්න පුළුවන්. ඒක පරිපාලනයේ වගකීමක්.”

තවද ඔහු මේ සම්බන්ධව විමසීම හේතුවෙන් සම්මේලනය ඇතුළත සමහරක් පිරිස ඔහුගේ වෘත්තිය ජීවිතයට හානි කරමින් මඩ ප්‍රහාර එල්ල කිරීමට ද උත්සහයක් දැරූ බවත් ඔහු ඒවාට මුහුණ දීමට සූදානමින් සිටි බවත් පැවසීය.

ජාතික කණ්ඩායමේ සිටින ක්‍රීඩකයන් තෝරා නොගෙන මෑතකදි පැවති අන්තර් පළාත් පාපන්දු තරගාවලියෙන් හමු වු ජාත්‍යන්තර අත්දැකීම් අඩු නවක ක්‍රීඩකයන්ව ආසියානු කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගාවලියට තෝරාගැනීම නිසා එම තරගාවලියට ක්‍රීඩා නොකර සිටිමට තමා තීරණය කළ බව ද වසීම් පැවැසුවේ ය.

“ආසියානු කුසලාන සුදුසුකම් ලැබීමේ තරගාවලිය මෙතෙක් ශ්‍රී ලංකාව ලඟා කරගත් ඉහළම දක්ෂතාවයක්.එවැනි වැදගත් තරගයකට ජාත්‍යන්තර අත්දැකීම් අඩු නවක ක්‍රීඩකයන් තෝරගැනීම ඔවුන්ටත් මේ රටටත් කරන අසාධාරණයක්. එම නවක ක්‍රීඩකයන් හට ජාත්‍යන්තර අත්දැකීම් ලබාදීමට සුදුසු වෙලාව මේක නෙමෙයි. මේ තරගාවලිය සඳහා මම හා සුජාන් බොහෝ කාලයක සිට සැලසුම් කරා. මේක අපට ගොඩක් වැදගත් තරගයක්. ඒ නිසා අපිට මේකට අපේ දක්ෂතම අත්දැකීම් බහුල ක්‍රීඩකයන් අවශ්‍ය වෙනවා. ඕනෑම තරගාවලියක අවසානය ජයග්‍රාහි ලෙස අවසන් වුනොත් ඒකේ ක්‍රෙඩිට් එක යන්නේ පරිපාලනයට. ඒත් පරාජයක් වුනොත් ඒක ක්‍රීඩකයන්ගේ වැරද්දක් විදියට තමා පෙනෙන්නේ .

පසුගිය කාලය තුළ ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාපන්දු කණ්ඩායම දකුණු ආසියාවේ නැගී එන කණ්ඩායමක් වෙමින් තිබුණේ. අපට ඉන්දීයාව, මාලදිවයින වැනි රටවල්වල ක්‍රීඩකයන්ගෙන් ලොකු ප්‍රසාදයක් තියෙනවා. ඒ ගෞරවය මේ විදියට නැතිකරගත්තොත් නැවත් ඔවුන් අපට සිනාසේවි. අනෙක් කාරණය නම්, මම විදෙස් ක්‍රීඩා සමාජවල ක්‍රීඩා කරලා ලංකාව වෙනුවෙන් ක්‍රීඩාකරන්න පැමිණි කෙනෙක්. තවමත් ඒ නිසා අපේ රටේ ප්‍රේක්ෂකයන් මට සළකන්නේ විදේශිකයෙක් ලෙසයි. ඔවුන් මගෙන් බලාපොරොත්තු වෙන්නේ උපරිමයෙන් ක්‍රීඩා කිරීමයි. ඒත් මේ වගේ තත්වයක් මත මගේ උපරිමය දෙන්න අමාරුයි.”

නැවත ඔහු ජාතික කණ්ඩායමයට ක්‍රීඩා කරනවාද යන පැනයට පිළිතුරු ලෙස ඔහු කියා සිටියේ, ඔහු නිසැකවම ජාතික කණ්ඩායමට ක්‍රීඩාකිරිමේ කැමැත්තෙන් සිටින බවයි.

“අනිවාර්යෙන්ම මම ඉදිරියටත් රට වෙනුවෙන් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා. මේක මගේ වගකීමක්, රාජකාරියක් වගේම රටට කළ යුතු සේවාවක්. මම ගොඩක් කැමත්තෙන් ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා. මම තාමත් හිතන්නේ මෙම තරගාවලිය කොහොමද ක්‍රීඩාකරන්නේ කියලා. මට ගොඩක් හිතට දුකයි මේ වගේ අවස්ථාවක අපේ ජාතික කණ්ඩායමේ උපරිම දක්ෂතාවය ලබාගන්න බැරිවීම ගැන. මම තවමත් හිතනවා පරිපාලනය මේ ප්‍රශ්නයට නිසි පිළිතුරක් දෙයි කියලා. එහෙම වුනොත් මම අනිවාර්යෙන්ම මෙම තරගාවලියට ක්‍රීඩා කරනවා.”

வசிம் கால்பந்தாட்ட சம்மேளனம் மீது குற்றச்சாட்டு …. ஆசியகிண்ண தகுதி சுற்றில் பங்கேற்காது இருக்கவும் தீர்மானம்….

வாசிம் ராசிக் கால்பந்தாட்டத்தில் இலங்கைக்கு பல வெற்றிகளைப் பெற்றுத் தந்த முன்னணி கால்பந்து வீரர் ஆவார். எவ்வாறாயினும், இலங்கை கால்பந்தாட்ட நிர்வாகம் தொடர்பில் தாம் மிகுந்த கவலையடைவதாக அவரே அண்மையில் தெரிவித்திருந்தார். மேலும் ஆசிய கால்பந்து சம்மேளனத்தின் (AFC) தகுதிச் சுற்றுப் போட்டிகளில் பங்கேற்கப் போவதில்லை என்றும் அவர் அறிவித்துள்ளார்.

ஆசிய கோப்பைக்கு தகுதி சுற்றில் பங்கு பற்றாமைக்கு முக்கிய காரணம் கால்பந்து சம்மேளனத்தின் பொறுப்பற்ற செயற்பாடு என்று அவர் குறிப்பிட்டார்.
சில நாட்களுக்கு முன்பு, கால்பந்து கூட்டமைப்பு, வாசிம் எப்போது தேசிய அணிக்கு திரும்புவார் என்று கேட்டு அனுப்பிய கடிதம் மற்றும் அவரது கோரிக்கைகளுக்கு பதிலளிக்கும் வகையில், அவர் கடந்த மாதம் 28 ஆம் தேதி முதல் ஆசிய கோப்பை தகுதிச் சுற்றில் பங்கேற்பேன் என்றும் தனது முந்தைய வாக்குறுதிகளை நிறைவேற்றுமாறும் அவர் அறிவித்தார்.

இதற்கு முன்னரும் இவ்வாறான வாக்குறுதி மீறல்களை எதிர்கொண்டதாக வாசிம் தெரிவித்துள்ளார். மேலும், பெத்தகனில் நடைபெற்ற தேசிய கால்பந்து பயிற்சி முகாமில் தனக்கு உரிய சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்படவில்லை என்றும், சரியான உணவு, பானங்கள் கூட வழங்கப்படவில்லை என்றும் அவர் கூறினார்.

கடந்த காலங்களில் தேசிய அணிக்கு உறுதியளித்தபடி கால்பந்து சம்மேளனம் வீரர்களுக்கான ஒப்பந்தங்களை வழங்கவில்லை எனவும் அவர் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார். ஜூலை 2021 இல் நடந்த கூட்டத்தில், சம்பளத்துடன் ஒரு வருட விளையாட்டு ஒப்பந்தம் அவர்களுக்கு உறுதியளிக்கப்பட்டது, ஆனால் அது பின்னர் நடக்கவில்லை என்று கூறினார். இது தொடர்பாக தாம் கேட்டதற்கு சம்மேளனம் பதிலளிக்கவில்லை என்றும் வாசிம் கூறினார்.

“நான் ஒரு தொழில்முறை கால்பந்து வீரர். நான் திருமணமான தந்தை. முன்பு நான் விளையாடிய எல்லா இடங்களிலும் சரியான ஒப்பந்தத் தொகையும் நேரமும் இருந்தது. மேலும் ஒவ்வொரு வீரருக்கும் காப்பீடு இருந்தது. நாம் விளையாடும் போது திடீர் காயங்கள் ஏற்படும். இதுபோன்ற சமயங்களில் அறுவை சிகிச்சைக்கான பணத்தை காப்பீட்டில் இருந்து பெறலாம். அது நிர்வாகத்தின் பொறுப்பு.”

மேலும், சம்மேளனத்தில் உள்ள சிலர் சேறு பூசி தனது தொழில் முறை விளையாட்டு வாழ்க்கையை சேதப்படுத்த முயற்சித்ததாகவும், அவற்றை எதிர்கொள்ள தயாராக இருப்பதாகவும் அவர் கூறினார்.

அண்மையில் நடைபெற்ற மாகாணங்களுக்கிடையிலான கால்பந்தாட்டப் போட்டியிலிருந்து சர்வதேச அனுபவம் குறைந்த புதிய வீரர்கள் தெரிவு செய்யப்பட்டமையினால் ஆசியக் கிண்ணத் தகுதிச் சுற்றுப் போட்டிகளில் விளையாடுவதில்லை எனத் தீர்மானித்ததாகவும் வாசிம் தெரிவித்தார்.

ஆசியக் கிண்ணத் தகுதிச் சுற்றுப் போட்டிகள் இலங்கை இதுவரை சிறந்த பெறுபேற்றை வெளிப்படுத்தியுள்ளது. புதிய வீரர்களுக்கு சர்வதேச அனுபவத்தை அளிக்க இது நேரமில்லை. நானும் சுஜானும் இந்த போட்டிக்காக நீண்ட நாட்களாக திட்டமிட்டு வருகிறோம்.

இது எங்களுக்கு மிக முக்கியமான போட்டி. எனவே இதற்கு சிறந்த அனுபவமிக்க வீரர்கள் தேவை. எந்த ஒரு போட்டியும் வெற்றியில் முடிந்தால், அதன் பெருமை நிர்வாகத்திற்கே செல்கிறது. ஆனால் தோல்வி ஏற்பட்டால் அது வீரர்களின் தவறாகத் தெரிகிறது.

“அண்மைக்காலமாக இலங்கை உதைபந்தாட்ட அணி தெற்காசியாவில் ஒரு சிறந்த அணியாக வலம் வருகின்றது. இந்தியா, மாலத்தீவு போன்ற நாடுகளில் உள்ள வீரர்களின் ஆதரவு எங்களுக்கு அதிகம். அந்த மரியாதையை இப்படி இழந்தால் மீண்டும் நம்மைப் பார்த்து சிரிப்பார்கள். மற்றொன்று, நான் வெளிநாட்டு விளையாட்டுக் கழகங்களில் விளையாடிவிட்டு இலங்கைக்காக விளையாட வந்தேன்.அதனால்தான் நம் நாட்டில் உள்ள பார்வையாளர்கள் என்னை இன்னும் வெளிநாட்டவராகவே நடத்துகிறார்கள். நான் முழுமையாக விளையாட வேண்டும் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கிறார்கள். ஆனால் இதுபோன்ற சூழ்நிலையில் என்னால் உயர்மட்ட திறமையை வெளிப்படுத்த கடினம். ”

மீண்டும் தேசிய அணிக்காக விளையாடுவாரா என்ற கேள்விக்கு பதிலளித்த அவர், தேசிய அணியில் விளையாடுவதில் நிச்சயம் ஆர்வமாக உள்ளேன் என்றார்.

Cricket

Wanindu Hasaranga Ruled Out of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Due to Hamstring Injury

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Sri Lanka’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign has suffered a massive setback, with star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to a hamstring injury.

Medical scans conducted after Sri Lanka’s opening match against Ireland confirmed that the leg-spinning all-rounder will require several weeks of rehabilitation, effectively ending his participation in the global showpiece event.

Hasaranga, a central figure in Sri Lanka’s T20 plans over the past few years, sustained the injury during the early stages of the tournament. His absence leaves a significant void in both the bowling and lower-middle-order batting departments.

Widely regarded as one of the most dangerous T20 bowlers in world cricket, Hasaranga’s impact in ICC tournaments has been remarkable. With 40 wickets, he currently stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history — a statistic that underlines the scale of the blow to the co-hosts.

Beyond the numbers, Hasaranga’s ability to break partnerships in crucial moments and provide quick runs under pressure has made him indispensable to Sri Lanka’s balance in white-ball cricket.

Attention now turns to potential replacements. Leg-spinner Dushan Hemantha is expected to be named as Hasaranga’s replacement, pending official approval from Sri Lanka Cricket and the ICC Event Technical Committee. While Hemantha offers promise and attacking intent, stepping into the shoes of Sri Lanka’s premier match-winner will be a formidable challenge.

As of now, Sri Lanka Cricket is yet to issue a formal statement confirming the squad alteration.

With the tournament still in its early stages, Sri Lanka must now regroup quickly. The onus will fall on the remaining senior bowlers to shoulder added responsibility as the hosts attempt to keep their World Cup ambitions alive without one of their most influential players

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Cricket

“I Just Wanted to Score a Few Boundaries” – Kamindu Mendis Stars as Sri Lanka Beat Ireland in T20 World Cup Opener

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Sri Lanka’s decision to draft in Kamindu Mendis at the last moment proved inspired, as the all-rounder produced a match-turning knock to guide the hosts to a 20-run victory over Ireland in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

Coming in with Sri Lanka in trouble at 86 for 4, Kamindu counter-attacked with a blistering 44 off just 19 deliveries, striking four boundaries and two sixes to swing momentum firmly in the hosts’ favour. His innings transformed a faltering batting effort into a competitive total of 163.

I just wanted to score a few boundaries and put a partnership with Kusal Mendis

Kusal was outstanding today. He deserves a lot of credit. We wanted someone to bat through the innings.

Kusal Mendis played the anchor role to perfection, remaining unbeaten on a composed half-century and ensuring Sri Lanka batted through their 20 overs — something that looked unlikely during the middle phase of the innings.

Sri Lanka’s bowling unit then delivered a disciplined performance, led by their spin trio of Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dunith Wellalage, who shared seven wickets to derail Ireland’s chase. Hasaranga claimed three scalps, taking his overall T20 World Cup wicket tally to 40 — second only to Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (50).

There was a brief scare for Sri Lanka when Hasaranga limped off after his second over, sparking concern over his fitness. However, the skipper returned to complete his spell, easing fears ahead of the remaining group matches.

Ireland showed early promise, with George Dockrell returning impressive figures of 2 for 17 and a solid 49-run partnership between Lorcan Tucker and Harry Tector keeping them in the contest. But once spin was introduced in tandem, the visitors struggled to maintain momentum.

From 105 for 2, Ireland lost wickets in quick succession and were eventually bowled out for 143 in 19.5 overs, with Matheesha Pathirana picking up two wickets in the final over.

They got about 15 runs too many,” admitted Ireland captain Paul Stirling.

We were a bit sloppy in the field and we’ve got plenty of work to do before the next game. Spin is going to play a big role in this tournament, and that’s something we need to adapt to quickly.

Co-hosting the 20-team tournament alongside defending champions India, Sri Lanka could not have asked for a better start. The victory not only earned crucial points but also injected confidence into a campaign that carries high expectations on home soil

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Cricket

Pakistan–India Match Uncertainty Could Cost Sri Lanka Up to US$30 Million at ICC T20 World Cup 2026

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Sri Lanka is facing a potential financial setback of up to US$25–30 million amid growing uncertainty over the highly anticipated Pakistan vs India clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, according to reports from local media and industry sources.

The island nation, which is set to co-host the global tournament, had been preparing to stage the marquee encounter on 15 February 2026 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. However, reports suggesting that Pakistan may boycott the fixture against India have raised serious concerns among Sri Lankan cricket officials and key stakeholders in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

The Pakistan–India contest is widely regarded as the single biggest commercial driver of any ICC tournament, attracting massive global television audiences, sold-out stadiums and premium sponsorship interest. Sri Lanka had positioned the fixture as a major economic catalyst, with expectations of a sharp spike in international arrivals and record revenues across multiple sectors.

While no official cancellation has been announced, uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s participation — reportedly linked to directives from the Pakistan government — has already begun to impact projected earnings. Tourism industry sources indicate that hotel bookings in Colombo and surrounding areas have slowed, with some early cancellations reported as fans and tour operators await clarity.

The potential fallout could be significant for Sri Lanka’s tourism-dependent economy, which increasingly relies on high-profile international sporting events to drive short-term visitor inflows and spending.

Commercial and Tourism Impact

Ticket sales for the India–Pakistan match were expected to be among the highest of the tournament, featuring premium pricing and early sell-outs typical of fixtures involving the two rivals. A boycott would likely result in major losses from ticket revenue, sponsorship activations, stadium advertising and broadcast-linked commercial agreements.

Beyond cricketing revenue, the ripple effect would be felt across airlines, travel agencies, restaurants, transport providers and small businesses operating around event venues. Informal sector workers — including vendors, drivers and temporary service staff — also stand to lose a crucial source of short-term income tied to matchday demand.

Sri Lanka Cricket Appeals to PCB

In an effort to prevent a damaging outcome, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva has formally written to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), urging it to reconsider reports that Pakistan may skip the February 15 fixture in Colombo.

In the letter, SLC stated that it had learned through media reports that while Pakistan is expected to participate in the tournament, a decision may have been taken to avoid the match against India. Sri Lanka Cricket emphasized that all commercial, logistical, security and operational arrangements for hosting the tournament have already been finalized.

SLC further highlighted that ticket sales for matches scheduled in Sri Lanka — particularly the India–Pakistan clash — had recorded exceptionally strong demand, underlining the scale of public interest and commercial expectations attached to the fixture.

Sri Lanka Cricket warned that Pakistan’s absence from such a high-profile match could have far-reaching economic consequences, including reduced tourism inflows, substantial revenue losses and broader impacts on businesses linked to the event.

With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 drawing closer, stakeholders across Sri Lanka are now anxiously awaiting clarity, hoping that diplomacy and dialogue can preserve cricket’s biggest rivalry — not only for the integrity of the tournament, but for the country’s economic interests as well.

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