Sports
How Ian Pieris and Skanda got international cricket back to Sri Lanka
by Rex Clementine
There was no international cricket played in Sri Lanka for five years between 1987 to 1992 due to the war.
The ICC meeting in June of 1991 at Lord’s in London was very crucial for Ian Pieris and S. Skandakumar as it was the last one they would attend as Cricket Board President and Secretary, having assumed office in 1989.
They knew they had to do something special to wrest back the home advantage for our cricketers.
As they prepared to leave for that meeting they were informed that the Prime Minister of England the Rt Hon John Major, a keen cricket follower, would host a reception at No 10, Downing Street for all the ICC delegates at the end of the first day’s sessions.
It was a testing time for Sri Lanka’s diplomatic relations as David Gladstone, the British High Commissioner had been declared persona non grata and sent back, and Britain delayed naming a replacement.
The Chairman of MCC at that time was Mike Melluish, a Cambridge colleague of Sri Lankan Board President Ian Pieris!
Skanda took a sterling silver tray with him as a token gift to the PM, and joined the other delegates led by ICC Chairman Sir Colin Cowdrey outside No 10, where security was tight as Britain was having its own share of violence from the IRA .
As they queued to be ushered in, Skanda observed that he was the only one with a parcel in hand, and whispered this to Ian.
With a grin and in his typical way Ian said ” It was your bloody idea so you take it in “
So as Skanda was announced in, he shook hands and handed the gift, “A token Mr. Prime Minister from Sri Lanka.” The PM opened the box , looked at it and said , “You mean you brought this all the way from Sri Lanka “?
“Yes Prime Minister,” was Skanda’s reply and he joined the others in the reception hall.
After all the guests had been ushered in the PM’s Assistant tapped Skanda on his shoulder and said “The Prime Minister would like to have a word with you sir.”
When Skanda went back the PM said “That was very thoughtful of you. Let’s do a picture together.”
They did that and as Skanda was leaving the reception PM’s Assistant said in a low tone “I think you did something today for Anglo-Sri Lanka relations sir.”
The next day while they were at sessions at Lord’s, there was a knock on the Committee room door.
“A letter for Mr. Skandakumar of Sri Lanka from the Prime Minister’s office” was the announcement !
“I wish we had mobile phones then to record the expression on the face of every one round the table!” Skanda said when The Island inquired him about the incident.
“It was only the photo with a thank you note for the gift but the announcement did have an impact on all present and I made no effort to disclose the contents in the envelope!” Skanda told The Island.
Starting on this positive note, Ian and Skanda, with a tour confirmed by ever friendly Australia in hand were able to go round the table and get every Test playing country including South Africa, (readmitted only at that meeting as a Test playing Nation) to confirm tours to Sri Lanka between 1992 and 1994.
In a brief address to the Chair, Skanda said ” Mr Chairman, it’s ten years since we became a Test playing Nation and the West Indies are yet to visit us.”
Sir Clyde Walcott, representing West Indies immediately put both his hands up and said ” We are coming ” !
The photo itself was not without its share of additional drama as newspapers published it on their return, and George Steuarts travel business had a boost when a rumour went around that ticketing through them would guarantee a visa to UK as the Company‘s MD was a friend of the British Prime Minister!
On that happy note, Skanda and Ian were able to sign off an otherwise hugely challenging term in Honorary Office.
An ODI between Canada and Netherlamds in King City Toronto on Tuesday was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch. The fixture was part of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition, which is part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The match was abandoned just 4.1 overs into the Netherlands innings after they had chosen to bat. They were 15 for 1, with Max O’Dowd the batter dismissed for a duck in the second over. The pitch had uneven bounce and the batters were struck several times during the short passage of play.
On June 12, four days before the abandoned match, the ICC had issued a statement saying the pitch at King City that was used for an ODI between USA and the Netherlands on June 8 had been given an “unsatisfactory” rating and one demerit point.
“This was a pitch that fell below the standard expected for this level of cricket,” match referee Phil Thompson had said about the surface for the USA-Netherlands match. “Both captains expressed disappointment with how it turned out, and the match officials assessed it as ‘very poor’. The inconsistent bounce created challenging and potentially unsafe playing conditions. Taking all factors into consideration, I believe the pitch merits an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating.”
According to the ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, pitches that get an “unsatisfactory” rating will be given one demerit point, while an “unfit” pitch rating will result in three demerit points for the venue. Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period, and an accumulation of six demerit points will result in the venue being suspended from hosting international matches for 12 months (12 demerit points will lead to a 24-month ban).
(Cricinfo)
Joshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo have earned recalls to West Indies’ squad for the two-match World Test Championship series at home against Sri Lanka starting later this month, while the two Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar, are back after missing the tours of India and New Zealand late last year because of injuries.
Trevin Imalch had kept wicket when West Indies last played Test cricket, in New Zealand last December, but Da Silva, 33 Test matches old, has returned after scoring 996 runs across the last two seasons of the West Indies Championship. Imlach, who failed with the bat in New Zealand with a total of 81 runs across six innings – after scoring 33 runs in his only Test in India – has been named captain of a West Indies Select XI to play the Sri Lankans in a tour match in Coolidge from June 18 to 21. Roston Chase will continue to captain the Test side.
West Indies vs Sri Lanka Tests
Jangoo, dropped after only one Test appearance, in Multan in January 2025, where he scored 0 and 30, has returned to the side following a fruitful WI Championship in which he scored 411 runs in seven innings. He finished second on the scorers’ table there, only behind Da Silva, who scored 413 in seven outing. The highlight of Jangoo’s season was the 203 not out he scored for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands
The pair of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, meanwhile, last played Test cricket during the home series against Australia in mid-2025.”Every Test series is an opportunity for us to grow as a team and strengthen our identity,” Darren Sammy, the head coach, said in a Cricket West Indies statement. “Sri Lanka are a quality side, so we know we’ll have to be at our best, but we’re excited about the challenge ahead.”For us, it’s about playing with discipline, showing character when the game gets tough, and representing the West Indies with pride. The players have been putting in the work, and we’re looking forward to putting on a strong display for our fans across the Caribbean.”
Some of the squad members are currently participating in a high-performance training camp in Antigua, which began on June 12 and will run till June 22. The members of the Test squad who were also part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka – West Indies lost the ODIs and won the T20Is – will join the camp on June 15. The Tests will be played in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
“This is a key component of our preparations heading into the series, providing players and coaches with valuable time to enhance and improve the skills we want to see sharpened, based on the areas we need to focus our attention on when facing this opponent,” Sammy said about the camp. “It also gives us the opportunity to put clear objectives and plans in place for the conclusion of the summer against Pakistan.
“Additionally, the four-day warm-up game prior to the series provides the chance for some of our Test hopefuls to play in high-intensity action and create the avenue for more competition within the squad ahead of the upcoming and future series.”
West Indies are currently bottom of the nine-team WTC table, having lost seven of their eight games in the ongoing cycle.
West Indies squad for Test series against Sri Lanka
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