Sri Lanka Emergency LIVE: Asia Cup 2022 LIVE: Despite having been successful in the Australia series, Sri Lanka Cricket is on the defensive again. After Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country amid protests, the island nation has declared a state of emergency. That has put Sri Lanka’s upcoming Tour of Pakistan and the 2022 Asian Cup in jeopardy.

Sri Lanka has been plagued with problems lately due to the economic crisis and mass protests across the country. In the midst of all that, President Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives as thousands of protesters entered the presidential palace in Galle.

“Since the president is out of the country, an emergency has been declared to attend to the situation in the country,” Dinouk Colombage, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, said.

In light of recent protests and unrest, Sri Lankan police have imposed indefinite curfews across the western province, including Colombo, after Rajapaksa fled the country on a military plane.

“There are ongoing protests outside the Prime Minister’s office in Colombo and we need a curfew to contain the situation.” a senior police officer told AFP.

The Pakistan team led by Babar Azam is already in Sri Lanka for a two-match test series. Pakistan is currently playing a warm-up match in Colombo. However, it is not yet known whether the two-match test series that will start on July 16 in Galle will go ahead.

Sri Lanka Emergency LIVE: Will the 2022 Asian Cup move out of Sri Lanka?

  • The damn Asian Cup is now in serious doubt due to the national emergency in Sri Lanka.
  • The Asian Cricket Council had already put Bangladesh on hold due to the situation.
  • The tournament is scheduled to start on August 27.
  • While Sri Lanka Cricket was determined and hopeful to successfully host the cursed tournament that was postponed twice, the conditions do not allow for hosting a multi-national tournament.
  • Neighboring countries are monitoring the situation and the ACC will make a final decision before the end of the 3rd week of July.
  • If he does move, the decision will be a huge blow to SLC. The board will lose $5-6 million in revenue.

Until now, the SLC had managed to convince its neighbors’ cricket boards, including the BCCI, that they can successfully stage the tournament.

The Australian men’s team has just concluded a month-long tour of Sri Lanka. The Indian women’s team also toured the country recently.

However, the ACC does not want to take any chances if the situation deteriorates further.

Speaking to Insidesport, SLC CEO Ashley de Silva suggested that not hosting the Asian Cup would result in a loss of $5-6 million in revenue.

“There is huge revenue generated by hosting teams like India and Pakistan. That is why we are still trying to persuade countries to play in Sri Lanka. For us revenue is critical. At this stage, even for our country, any incoming dollar is critical. We are all ready to host the Asian Cup and we are all in good spirits.” said SLC Executive Director Ashley de Silva.

The protesters and riots in the country reached the Galle International Stadium during the 2nd test SL vs AUS. This is why the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is likely to re-evaluate the venue for the tournament.

Last week, thousands of protesters stormed the Presidential Palace in Colombo as Sri Lanka continues to grapple with civil unrest. There is a huge shortage of essential goods and protests have been the norm.

Some of the protesters arrived at the Galle International Stadium, during day 2 of the second test SL vs AUS. Some of them scaled the Galle fort that dominates the stadium in a massive security lapse, though the match went on uninterrupted.

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