Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday announced the opening of a newly completed 6 strip, state-of-the-art Indoor bowling facility at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium to coincide with the start of a six-day high intensity training and conditioning programme for the national squad ahead of the Champions Trophy 2017.
The newly installed floodlights of the side-wickets too will be inaugurated on 9 May and the completion of the Indoor nets together with the floodlighting of the side-wickets marks the completion of the first phase of SLC’s ambitious plans to establish 4 provincial Centres of Excellence across the nation to cater to cricket from the grass root levels onward.
The four centres have been identified as Colombo (R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium), Galle (Galle International Cricket Stadium), Dambulla (Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium) and Kandy (Pallekele International Cricket Stadium), and will function as the catalyst for all training and development activities across the districts that will be administered under each of the said provinces. Plans are underway to develop each of the stadiums to meet stringent high performance needs with state-of-the-art facilities such as floodlit side-wickets, top-range indoor nets with IT connectivity, swimming pools, recovery and rehabilitation centres, residential facilities and more. The inauguration ceremony is due to be held under the patronage of the Minister of Sport Dayasiri Jayasekera and will be held on Tuesday 9 May at 3.00 pm.