India to play 5 ODIs and T20 match in Lanka next month

by Sanjay Jha | January 13, 2009 at 04:06 am

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Indian cricket team will play a series of matches against Sri Lanka. The Indian side has canceled its proposed tour of Pakistan in the wake of Mumbai terror attack. The Indian team will play a five-match limited overs series next month .

Sri Lanka cricket media manager Shane Fernando said the tour, including a Twenty20 match, will be played in the early weeks of February, but dates and venues are yet to be finalized.

"We have agreed to visit Sri Lanka and play five One Day Internationals and a Twenty20 match before we go to New Zealand for our pre-fixed tour. The exact dates will be finalised soon and will be released jointly," Srinivasan said.

Srinivasan also thanked Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge for assuring that Sri Lankan cricketers would be available for the second edition of the Indian Premier League scheduled in April.

"We are grateful to Sri Lanka Cricket and to the minister for having said that they will release the Sri Lankan players for the IPL and that we will have a clear understanding on this which will be inked on the day that we play our Twenty20 match here," Srinivasan said.

He also thanked the SLC for supporting the BCCI's stand on the rebel Indian Cricket League.

"We are also thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket for their very firm expression of support to the BCCI stand with regards to the ICL. Now we look forward to an interesting ODI series and a Twenty20 game in Sri Lanka when our team comes here," the BCCI official said.

Hailing the India-Sri Lanka cricket ties, Srinivasan said, "India and Sri Lanka have had a very long and very close relationship in cricket among other things and I am present here today to assure Sri Lankan cricket that the BCCI will continue to cherish the relationship that we have and support Sri Lankan Cricket in furtherance to that and we will always stand with you," he added.