After ICC rejects Asantha de Mel's complaints ... Sri Lanka team boycotts media meeting

After ICC rejects Asantha de Mel's complaints ...

Sri Lanka team boycotts media meeting

After chairman of Sri Lanka selecting committee, Asantha de Mel complained about shortcomings in accommodation facilities and transport, the ICC responds saying that those allegations are false; no members of the Sri Lanka team boycotted the media briefing which officially is conducted with the two teams Sri Lanka and Australia in unison on an official level after the former was defeated in the game. This action was taken as a protest in that connection. 

What chairman of Sri Lanka national selection committee Asantha de Mel had complained to the
international cricket council in connection with seven factors mentioning that pitches provided for games the Sri Lanka team participated in was problematic. What Asantha de Mel says is that pitches at Cardiff and Bristol were of a green hue while pitches on which other teams played were of a brownish colour and that those pitches reaped better runs. He thus deduces that it is unjustified that one type of wickets are prepared for certain countries while a different type of wicket is prepared in the case of other countries on behalf of the cricket council. 

He further stated that his team was provided lodging at a hotel with minimum facilities and that a swimming pool was not available in the least and that fast bowlers after a training workout it was essential that swimming pool facilities 

are warranted, which incidentally was not available and that the rest of the teams were provided with hotels equipped with swimming pools. In addition he stated that the players found that their clothes were misplaced at hotel premises. In the case of transport, he reported that Sri Lankan players were subjected to discrimination while other teams were provided facilities with larger buses and the Sri Lankan team had to be satisfied with very small buses with lesser facilities. 

The international cricket council has rejected all these allegations and has informed that this tournament was organised after a 4 year period of planning in a manner that everybody would enjoy equal facilities and that selection of pitches and their preparation was carried out by a group of specialists. However, there was no reference in the response of the ICC in relation to hotel and transport facilities. 

After these factors were highlighted, after Sri Lanka was trounced by Australia by 87 runs in the 20th match in the one-day cricket tournament of the world cup and the team has boycotted the media briefing in which they participate and thus it was only those who represent Australia were present on that occasion. The ICC had informed that the Sri Lankan team cannot do such a thing and that they would have to forward their response to it.