Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has denied having made “unfair or unjustifiable restrictions on the free media in Sri Lanka” that prevented them from independently covering the recent Sri Lanka-England home Test series.
Instead SLC has passed the buck on the health authorities for standing in the way of the media.
“In line with strict guidelines issued in the interest of public health and safety by the government, Sri Lanka Cricket has taken steps to conduct the England tour of Sri Lanka under the same stringent health safety protocols as adopted for the Lanka Premier League 2020.
“Under the aforesaid protocols access to the venue was permitted only to players and match officials, television broadcast crew, ground and venue management personnel, limited essential services personnel and security personnel”, SLC’s Chief Executive Officer Ashley de Silva said in a statement.
He also said the presence of cricket officials at the venue were “essential to the successful conduct of the tournament”.
But De Silva did not say why SLC invited the media to cover the LPL launch in Colombo without health ministry restrictions or why the government allows boys and girls to patronize cinemas and not permit media personnel to enter the Press centre at the Galle International Cricket stadium and sit far apart to perform what is also an “essential service”.