Sri Lanka Cricket’s inspection team expressed their satisfaction with the security arrangements in Bangladesh after a series of meetings with the concerned officials in the past few days ahead of the island nation’s tour later this month. In the wake of recent political unrest throughout Bangladesh, a two-member inspection team, comprising former SLC CEO Ajit Jayasekara and its current vice-president Mohan de Silva, visited Chittagong and Dhaka and assessed the security arrangements for the visiting team.
And de Silva on Tuesday said that they were pleased with the security plan put in place and that the executive committee of SLC will now take the final decision on whether to send its team to Bangladesh or not.
‘Because of the political unrest that has been there in Bangladesh in recent times, our cricket board has sent a security team to assess and ascertain the correct ground situation,’ said de Silva to reporters at Mirpur.
‘We were in Chittagong on Monday where we met the police commissioner there. [On Tuesday] we had a very successful discussion with Dhaka’s police commissioner [Benazir Ahmed].
‘We were quite satisfied, impressed with the security plan [Benazir] has provided. We also had a few concerns which we brought to their notice.
‘Therefore, we are quite happy. But we have to go back and report to our executive committee and they will take the final decision,’ he said.
De Silva stated that Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa was eager to send the cricket team with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assuring the Sri Lankan high commissioner that the visiting team will be afforded full-proof security.
‘We as a country, including His Excellency, the President [Mahinda Rajapaksa] is very keen that Sri Lanka tours Bangladesh,’ said de Silva.
‘But at the same time, we have had some traumatic experiences in other countries. Therefore, the security of the players is of paramount importance to us,’ he added, referring to the militant attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team bus on March 3, 2009 during their tour of Pakistan.
‘We have also been in constant touch with the Sri Lankan high commissioner in Dhaka. He has also been assured by your prime minister [Sheikh Hasina] that the fullest security will be provided for us,’ he concluded.
An SLC official was also positive that the upcoming tour will take place, making a positive statement on Wednesday while talking to AFP.
‘We are very positive about playing in Bangladesh. We look forward to playing there,’ said SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.
Meanwhile, International Cricket Council security manager Sean Norris, who earlier arrived on Monday to inspect the venues and security arrangement of Bangladesh ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup and the ICC World Twenty20 2014, visited the Fatullah stadium on Wednesday.
With Jayasekara departing today, Norris will be accompanied by de Silva when inspecting the Sylhet Divisional Stadium within a few days. De Silva is also expected to be present at the ICC security meeting in Dhaka on January 20.
Sri Lanka are scheduled to tour Bangladesh for two Test matches, two T20 internationals and three ODIs slated to be held in three venues – Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.
-With New Age input
