Australian cricketers have raised ethical concerns about the Sri Lankan tour, but will support officials’ decision to continue with next month’s tour. Australia will fly to Sri Lanka next week, with the island country amid an economic crisis and political unrest.
Sri Lanka fell under a curfew earlier this month after protests became deadly, and although they have risen, rising inflation and a shortage of key resources remain problematic.
Cricket Australia officials received further assurances last week that the tour was safe to go, after a recognition by the country by its own head of security in April also gave its approval.
Players are also encouraged by the fact that Australia’s first tour of Pakistan in 24 years took place without any security drama, despite cases of bloodshed in the country. But it is believed that some players have expressed moral unease about the tour of Sri Lanka in the current circumstances.
The three-game Twenty20 series will be played under the lights in the capital Colombo, in a nation where there are power outages. It is believed that there has been some recent consideration that these matches could be changed to day matches, but this has not yet been confirmed.
The team will also be moving across the country for the ODIs to be played in Pallekele before testing in Galle, at a time of significant fuel shortages. The Australian Cricketers Association is aware of the concerns of some players, but CEO Todd Greenberg said there was no suggestion that its members would not spin.
“Players are well aware of the situation in Sri Lanka and it is fair to say that there is a level of unease around the tour in conditions that contrast with those faced by the people of Sri Lanka, such as the increase in food prices, power outages and fuel rationing, “Greenberg told AAP.
“Ultimately, our players want to continue playing cricket and will receive guidance, guidance and advice from CA on tour arrangements and planning.”
However, the tour is also believed to help Sri Lanka’s economy, with official figures showing a record 33.8% year-on-year inflation in April. Australia has not toured the country since 2016, and is expected to attract large crowds to Colombo, Pallekele and Galle parties.
Led by Pat Cummins, Australian cricketers also launched a fundraising campaign with the United Nations during the Indian League last year at a time of a horrific Covid-19 wave that affected country. The charity option is not so easy in Sri Lanka as the situation is not a humanitarian crisis, but players are open to the idea of offering support if possible.
“Our players are very fortunate to be able to do their business around the world and as part of that, they form an affinity with the people of those countries,” Greenberg said.
“We saw an example of this last year when players left the IPL in India during the Covid crisis and were really shocked. Almost immediately, they gathered their support behind a campaign of UNHCR to raise funds and provide hospitals with much-needed oxygen. “