Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium

Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.
Sooriyawewa International Cricket Stadium
Ground information
Location Sooriyawewa, Hambantota, Sri Lanka
Coordinates 6°21′23″N 81°1′35″E / 6.35639°N 81.02639°E / 6.35639; 81.02639Coordinates: 6°21′23″N 81°1′35″E / 6.35639°N 81.02639°E / 6.35639; 81.02639
Establishment 2009
Capacity 35,000
Owner Sri Lanka Cricket
Operator Sri Lanka Cricket
Tenants Sri Lanka Cricket
End names
Thanamalwila End
Sooriyawewa End
International information
First ODI 20 February 2011:
 Sri Lanka v  Canada
Last ODI 8 July 2017:
 Sri Lanka v  Zimbabwe
First T20I 1 June 2012:
 Sri Lanka v  Pakistan
Last T20I 6 August 2013:
 Sri Lanka v  South Africa
As of 8 July 2017
Source: ESPNCricinfo

Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium better known as Sooriyawewa International Cricket Stadium (Sinhalese: මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ ජාත්‍යන්තර ක්‍රිකට් ක්‍රීඩාංගනය, Tamil: மகிந்த ராசபக்ச பன்னாட்டுத் துடுப்பாட்ட அரங்கம்), and abbreviately as MRIC Stadium, is an international cricket stadium in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. It was built for the 2011 Cricket World Cup and hosted two matches, the first being Sri Lanka against Canada, on 20 February 2011. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people making It the second largest stadium in Sri Lanka.

History

The proposal for a new International Cricket Stadium at Sooriyawewa was part of the government's programme to develop sports in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka as part of the government's plan to transform Hambantota into the second major urban hub of Sri Lanka, away from Colombo.[1]

The following 2011 Cricket World Cup matches were held at Hambantota International Cricket Stadium in February, 2011. The first official international match was between Sri Lanka and Canada on 20 February 2011, which Sri Lanka won by 210 runs. Two matches were played at the venue during the World Cup.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium hosted three 2012 ICC World Twenty20 matches.[2] The curator of the ground is Ravi Dissanayake and Manager is Colonel Shanaka Ratnayake.

Criticism

With low coverage of international matches in very rural area, it has come under extreme criticism and has been called a white elephant as only a few matches are held in the stadium considering the extreme costs for construction and maintenance.[3][4] The ministers of opposition criticize that former government has hidden the true story of actual cost for its construction.[5] To gain revenue the Stadium is often hired out for wedding receptions however Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed that the stadium should be used for training purposes to gain revenue.[6]

In 2016, after the inspections by Sri Lanka Cricket, president Thilanga Sumathipala pointed out that the walls, carpets, furniture and equipment in the stadium are in a severe state of neglect and deterioration without any attempt to revive the facility to its earlier status.[7]

Ground figures

Key

  • P Matches Played
  • H Matches Won by Home Side
  • T Matches Won by Touring Side
  • N Matches Won by Neutral Side
  • D/N/T Matches Drawn/No Result/Tied
Ground Figures
FormatPHTND/N/TInaugural Match
One-Day Internationals[8]20881320 February 2011
Twenty20 Internationals[9]733101 June 2012

Updated 5 September 2017

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