‘Need to rework FTP so that we can have more Tests with India, Aus, Eng’

Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee chairman Eran Wickramaratne on Sunday suggested a suitable rejigging of ICC’s Future Tours Programme so that the country can play more Test matches against top nations like India, England, and Australia. Sri Lanka played two Tests against the West Indies in June-July after a year-long hiatus, and currently are engaged in a two-match series against India.

The island nation is scheduled to play six more Tests this year - two each against Pakistan and New Zealand (away) and two against South Africa at home. “I think it’s the international calendar which is causing this issue of us not playing enough Tests, and this is the format we want to do well. But the tours are determined by the FTP and we’re hoping to have more tours with India in the next (World Test Championship) cycle,” Wickramaratne told select media here.

“We’ve heard that we’ll have a few more (tours) in the next cycle, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed. But obviously India, England, Australia are the teams that the entire world is looking at playing and I think we want to make sure that we get tours from those countries.”

Wickramaratne called for a more balanced scheduling in the upcoming international schedule.

“Yes, we need a balance and now we are scheduled to play 10 Test matches whereas we’ve played hardly anything this year. So, I think we need to rework our FTP and see how it goes. “I think it’s the T20 and 50-over cricket which has congested the calendar in a sense. But we want to play India because the truth is we depend on India a lot, and they are also the financial power in cricket,” he reasoned. In that context, Wickramaratne hoped that the recent meeting with ICC president Jay Shah and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia can bring in some good results.

“I had a conversation with Jay Shah, and recently we had a visit from BCCI’s Devajit Saikia. We want to make sure that we work together in building cricket here and across the world. We need the support of India and we really appreciate the support we get. “India is also stuck with a tight calendar of their own and they struggle to come here. But for us it would be great if we can have more teams coming and playing here but I guess it will depend on the international calendar. Yes, we had a very good meeting. They were very good with us,” he noted. Former Lankan cricketer Sidath Wettimuny, now a member of the interim committee, underlined the effort of a new set of administrators to bring transparency into the running of SLC.

“Like India had the Lodha commission, other boards in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia did make some changes. So we need to change with the times and one of the most fundamental things that we have done in this current constitution is having independent directors as well, not all elected,” said Wettimuny.