Former Sri Lankan cricketer and President of Matara Sports Club, Pramodya Wickramasinghe, has addressed concerns over the proposed Matara International Cricket Training School and Stadium, stating that the project has been misrepresented.
He explained that the initiative is not an international stadium, but a High-Performance Center (HPC) aimed at developing young cricketers in the Southern Province. The move aligns with Sri Lanka Cricketโs (SLC) vision of establishing first-class cricket grounds in every district and HPCs in every province.
Full Statement
๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ
Recent discussions regarding the proposed Matara International Cricket Training School and Stadium have sparked various opinions, including concerns raised by former cricketer Roshan Mahanama. As someone deeply involved in cricket development in the Southern Province, I, Pramodya Wickramasinghe, would like to clarify the true purpose and objectives of this initiative.
Matara has historically been a breeding ground for talented cricketers, producing national-level players over the years. However, in recent times, the regionโs contribution to the national cricketing pipeline has declined. One of the major reasons for this is the lack of a dedicated, well-maintained cricket facility that can support the continuous development of young players. The Uyanwatte Stadium, the main cricketing venue in Matara, is a multi-purpose ground used for various sports, making it difficult to maintain the turf at the standard required for first-class cricket. ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (๐๐๐) ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐ง๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ญ๐.
As the President of the Matara Sports Club, I became acutely aware of these challenges and the urgent need to address them. Coincidentally, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had been exploring the establishment of High-Performance Centers (HPC) in every province to enhance cricketing infrastructure across the country. ๐๐๐’๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ-๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐๐. Therefore, this development will cover both requirements for the district of Matara and the Southern Province. Given that Galle International Stadium faces restrictions due to UNESCO heritage site regulations and the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium (MRICS) in Hambantota is situated far from Colombo, I proposed that Matara be considered as the location for the Southern Provinceโs High-Performance Center.
To facilitate this initiative, I brought the matter to the attention of Hon. Sunil Handunneththi, who is the President of the Matara District Development Committee, a suitable land was allocated for the project. However, certain individuals within the cricketing fraternity, in an apparent attempt to claim undue credit, misrepresented this initiative as the construction of an international cricket stadium. This misinformation has unfortunately led to unwarranted criticism from personalities such as Roshan Mahanama, who may not have been fully informed of the projectโs actual scope and intent.
It is essential to emphasize that this is not a venture aimed at building an extravagant stadium but rather an initiative to develop a structured, high-performance facility that will serve as a training and development hub for young cricketers in the Southern Province. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ. By establishing such centers across the country, SLC aims to provide equal opportunities for aspiring cricketers, allowing them to hone their skills without having to relocate to Colombo or other major cities. Additionally, this development will enable schools and clubs of the Southern Province to access top-tier training facilities that were previously unavailable. It will also allow Sri Lanka A team matches and other second-tier fixtures to be hosted in Matara, further enhancing the region’s cricketing significance.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก-๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ง๐จ๐ง-๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐, ๐๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐, ๐๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก & ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ . ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐ฌ. The objective is to produce well-rounded, high-performing cricketers who can contribute to the national system at various levels.
I urge all stakeholders, including former cricketers and the public, to understand the genuine need for this project and the positive impact it will have on cricket development in the region. Constructive dialogue based on facts rather than misinformation will ensure that Sri Lankaโs cricketing future is strengthened through well-planned and well-executed initiatives.
Let us work together towards the true development of our cricketing infrastructure, focusing on the future of our young talent rather than being swayed by misconceptions.
๐๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐
๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ญ๐๐ซ/ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ
๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐