Sri Lankan Cricket Fans

(12-08-2022, 02:59 PM)Pram Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-08-2022, 01:27 PM)stillwill Wrote: [ -> ]The question is who da fk wants to hold camps in Hambantota ? Travel all the way far, stay at hotels and etc for what ? SLC should just do basic maintenance and keep it like how Dambulla is.

SL can always sell it to the Chinese lol.

Whole point of training camps are to travel somewhere and stay there for several weeks for training. If they can create a dorm, that will do for accommodation. One advantage of Hamba is that it's in the dry zone. This is a good venue when it's raining cats and dogs everywhere else.

I'm guessing MR/ SLC goons might have investments in hotels/ transportation in Hamba area as well. They are keeping this going because they don't want to lose those investments.

I'm sure schools around Dambulla are using facilities in the ground. Having games there makes sense tourism wise too. None of those benefits in Hamba.

I guess, I am not understanding this discussion.  Why are you suggesting this ground be taken away from cricket and assigned it to Track & Field?  Isn't Cricket the most popular Sport in SL, where we also excel globally?  Do we participate as a major athletic country in Olympics, where as we have won many cricket world cups across formats?  The reason why SLC has more money than any other Sporting body in the country, is for a reason, right? By converting this into a Track & Field training facility, and taking away from Cricket, how that is going to be a profitable venture for those who want to go after profits from this ground?

As you said, this ground is situated in the dry-zone, and we have had so many cricket matches with foreign tours abandoned due to rain.  It is so stupid that SLC is not utilizing this ground more often, and make it a profitable asset for them. The problem lies in their mindset and scheduling of foreign tours! For them, scheduling more matches at RPS or SSC in Colombo and getting washed out is still better than playing them at Hambantota and most likely getting the entire match played and completed successfully.

Isn't the Southern Expressway now runs closer to this ground?   So, that itself is an advantage to get spectators out there.

(12-08-2022, 06:10 AM)criccontent Wrote: [ -> ]It rains a lot in Kandy. Similar to Colombo

I have heard, Pallekelle is not situated in the wet-zone like Kandy.  YES, Asgiriya grounds is in the wet-zone, but Pallekelle is at the border of dry & wet-zones.  But, on the dry-zone side.  So, it may not be as dry as Hambantota, but more drier than Kandy town area for sure.  In other words, Pallekelle offers more dry weather than Asgiriya.
This was the main reason why their initially located this area and built the grounds, and moved away from the Asgiriya grounds.

Gosh, us the boomers have to explain everything to these younger people.

you see my Avatar? do you know who that is? Do you know what he did to get TEST status for Sri Lanka back in 1980s? It wasn't that easy to get TEST status back then, now a days ICC gives it out to any country that could win a match or two (that too a T20 or a One-Day match) against a 2nd string test playing nation on tour. Sri Lanka had to show at least 3 or more proper grounds that met TEST playing standards. I think, at least one of them had to be outside of Colombo, so they picked Asgiriya grounds and did a horrible job of quickly converting it to min TEST standards, before ICC came over to inspect.

As a person who knew about those days (yes, call me fu***** Ape Kalle), and the struggles that we went through to gain TEST status from ICC, I hate to see these top level TEST playing grounds are being taken away from our Cricket.

We don't need any more money spent on building new stadiums, but what we have outside of Colombo with International Stds., Pallekelle, Sooriyawewa, Dambulla and Galle Stadiums must be well maintained and equally utilized.
As for Colombo, RPS, SSC and P. Sara is more than enough for International Cricket.

What we shouldn't be doing is plans like, trying to build another at Polonnaruwa.

(12-08-2022, 07:14 PM)LankaFan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-08-2022, 02:59 PM)Pram Wrote: [ -> ]Whole point of training camps are to travel somewhere and stay there for several weeks for training. If they can create a dorm, that will do for accommodation. One advantage of Hamba is that it's in the dry zone. This is a good venue when it's raining cats and dogs everywhere else.

I'm guessing MR/ SLC goons might have investments in hotels/ transportation in Hamba area as well. They are keeping this going because they don't want to lose those investments.

I'm sure schools around Dambulla are using facilities in the ground. Having games there makes sense tourism wise too. None of those benefits in Hamba.

I guess, I am not understanding this discussion.  Why are you suggesting this ground be taken away from cricket and assigned it to Track & Field?  Isn't Cricket the most popular Sport in SL, where we also excel globally?  Do we participate as a major athletic country in Olympics, where as we have won many cricket world cups across formats?  The reason why SLC has more money than any other Sporting body in the country, is for a reason, right?  By converting this into a Track & Field training facility, and taking away from Cricket, how that is going to be a profitable venture for those who want to go after profits from this ground?

As you said, this ground is situated in the dry-zone, and we have had so many cricket matches with foreign tours abandoned due to rain.  It is so stupid that SLC is not utilizing this ground more often, and make it a profitable asset for them. The problem lies in their mindset and scheduling of foreign tours!  For them, scheduling more matches at RPS or SSC in Colombo and getting washed out is still better than playing them at Hambantota and most likely getting the entire match played and completed successfully.

Isn't the Southern Expressway now runs closer to this ground?   So, that itself is an advantage to get spectators out there.

I thought it was already established in the discussion that it's not financially profitable to maintain a ground at Hamba. For rainy seasons we can have games in Dambulla (this is why that stadium was built). We will generate revenue regardless of where games are held. It make sense to hold games in Galle, Kandy, Dambulla when there are foreign tours because that'll aid the economic activity of the region. There is no little economic activity in Hamba and there is no incentive for a tourist to travel there.

(12-08-2022, 07:25 PM)LankaFan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-08-2022, 06:10 AM)criccontent Wrote: [ -> ]It rains a lot in Kandy. Similar to Colombo

I have heard, Pallekelle is not situated in the wet-zone like Kandy.  YES, Asgiriya grounds is in the wet-zone, but Pallekelle is at the border of dry & wet-zones.  But, on the dry-zone side.  So, it may not be as dry as Hambantota, but more drier than Kandy town area for sure.  In other words, Pallekelle offers more dry weather than Asgiriya.
This was the main reason why their initially located this area and built the grounds, and moved away from the Asgiriya grounds.

Pallekele is in the dry zone. It's a 10 minute drive from My wife's home. It's hot AF.

(12-08-2022, 07:25 PM)LankaFan Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-08-2022, 06:10 AM)criccontent Wrote: [ -> ]It rains a lot in Kandy. Similar to Colombo

I have heard, Pallekelle is not situated in the wet-zone like Kandy.  YES, Asgiriya grounds is in the wet-zone, but Pallekelle is at the border of dry & wet-zones.  But, on the dry-zone side.  So, it may not be as dry as Hambantota, but more drier than Kandy town area for sure.  In other words, Pallekelle offers more dry weather than Asgiriya.
This was the main reason why their initially located this area and built the grounds, and moved away from the Asgiriya grounds.

Gosh, us the boomers have to explain everything to these younger people.

you see my Avatar? do you know who that is? Do you know what he did to get TEST status for Sri Lanka back in 1980s? It wasn't that easy to get TEST status back then, now a days ICC gives it out to any country that could win a match or two (that too a T20 or a One-Day match) against a 2nd string test playing nation on tour. Sri Lanka had to show at least 3 or more proper grounds that met TEST playing standards. I think, at least one of them had to be outside of Colombo, so they picked Asgiriya grounds and did a horrible job of quickly converting it to min TEST standards, before ICC came over to inspect.

As a person who knew about those days (yes, call me fu***** Ape Kalle), and the struggles that we went through to gain TEST status from ICC, I hate to see these top level TEST playing grounds are being taken away from our Cricket.

We don't need any more money spent on building new stadiums, but what we have outside of Colombo with International Stds., Pallekelle, Sooriyawewa, Dambulla and Galle Stadiums must be well maintained and equally utilized.
As for Colombo, RPS, SSC and P. Sara is more than enough for International Cricket.

What we shouldn't be doing is plans like, trying to build another at Polonnaruwa.

I think the point is that we can simply not use Hamba at all and we’d not lose out on anything as we gave all the other grounds you mentioned.

The only reason we are trying to use Hamba is cuz it’s there and we sort of need to do something with it.

Is it being used in the LPL at least?

Is it being used in FC cricket?

If the answers to these are a no then I think the best use case would be for it to become a training centre like someone suggested. It can be used as a camp before international tours and by A team etc.

But for that I think they’d still need to do some development there? Like gyms and maybe a pool. A lot of nets etc..

All I am saying is make maximum use of it, even as a multi sports facility/training centre or whatever because it's already there, abandoning it will be a crime. I don't think you can sell it unless a foreign buyer is found.

Keep wasting money on this going forward is the true crime.

(12-08-2022, 07:29 PM)Pram Wrote: [ -> ]

(12-08-2022, 07:14 PM)LankaFan Wrote: [ -> ]I guess, I am not understanding this discussion.  Why are you suggesting this ground be taken away from cricket and assigned it to Track & Field?  Isn't Cricket the most popular Sport in SL, where we also excel globally?  Do we participate as a major athletic country in Olympics, where as we have won many cricket world cups across formats?  The reason why SLC has more money than any other Sporting body in the country, is for a reason, right?  By converting this into a Track & Field training facility, and taking away from Cricket, how that is going to be a profitable venture for those who want to go after profits from this ground?

As you said, this ground is situated in the dry-zone, and we have had so many cricket matches with foreign tours abandoned due to rain.  It is so stupid that SLC is not utilizing this ground more often, and make it a profitable asset for them. The problem lies in their mindset and scheduling of foreign tours!  For them, scheduling more matches at RPS or SSC in Colombo and getting washed out is still better than playing them at Hambantota and most likely getting the entire match played and completed successfully.

Isn't the Southern Expressway now runs closer to this ground?   So, that itself is an advantage to get spectators out there.

I thought it was already established in the discussion that it's not financially profitable to maintain a ground at Hamba. For rainy seasons we can have games in Dambulla (this is why that stadium was built). We will generate revenue regardless of where games are held. It make sense to hold games in Galle, Kandy, Dambulla when there are foreign tours because that'll aid the economic activity of the region. There is no little economic activity in Hamba and there is no incentive for a tourist to travel there.

Galle is not in the dry-zone. So is Kandy, but I am assuming you are referring to Pallekelle here. So, if you took Hamba out, we will end up with only Pallekelle & Dambulla as grounds situated in the dry-zone. Instead of each leader like MY3 tries to build another one at Pollonnaruwa, ban all those initiations and maintain what we already have in SL, including that of Hamba. Because, one leader already wasted money to build this white elephant at Hamba, lets not allow another to waste money like that ever again.

If Hamba is a difficult place to go to, then how could Pollonnaruwa be more easier?

You won't be wasting money if maximum use is made of it. Abandoning it during 2015-2019 purely on a political agenda was a crime.

The local schools and clubs can use it as their home pitch. Surely the buildings will need to be maintained with good numbers of crew. The Army are very good cleaners no lies. They clean most of the Buddhist statues and small stupas. THey should give it to the Army.