The rolled-up covers placed along the boundary lines strike your eyes as fast as the Hunnasgiriya ranges that decorate the backdrop on one side of the Pallekele Stadium. The ground staff are busy fixing giant screens and the scoreboard, besides keeping the covers in place. But more than the ground, they had their eyes firmed on the dark clouds kissing the top of splendid ranges, as late monsoon threatens to wreak havoc on the Asia Cup. The fans too would have a finger on the weather apps, ahead of the feisty Sri Lanka-Bangladesh encounter on Thursday and even more for the Saturday fixture between India and Pakistan. According to Accuweather, there is a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms, putting the match under serious doubts.
On a gloomy day where the sun hardly peeped out of the dark clouds, the outfield said a story in itself. On one of the square boundaries, thanks to the heavy rainfall on the previous evening, the outfield remained so wet that there were patches where it could leave a footmark even if one walked over it.
The weather was similar on Tuesday too. On the drive from Colombo to Pallekele, it was impossible to miss the dark clouds moving fast towards Kandy, which is just an half-an-hour drive from the stadium. Some of the roadside vendors selling tender coconut began to replace them with umbrellas, a definite sign of things to come. Two-wheeler riders hurriedly put raincoats on and it was hard to spot a tuk-tuk that hadn’t rolled down its covers.
Unusual scheduling
Though the monsoon has landed after a delay, August-September is an unusual time to play cricket in Sri Lanka. It is a period the debt-ridden SLC usually avoids, because of the strong possibility of evening rains. Among its prominent venues, Hambantotta, which is located in the south-east corner of the island, is yet to host an ODI in September.
Out of the 33 ODIs the stadium has hosted, only one has been in September and only two have been held in the last week of August. It isn’t restricted to Pallekele alone. Even Colombo, which is set to host the Super Four stage and the final, tends to receive heavy rainfall during the month of September. It practically means that the Asia Cup, the all-important stop ahead of the World Cup, is on the mercy of rain gods.
The R Premadasa Stadium, which has been hosting matches since 1986, has hosted only 28 matches in the September. In fact, after the 2002 Champions Trophy that included two back-to-back finals being washed out, leaving India and Sri Lanka to share the trophy, it has hosted only nine ODIs in the month. A tri-series involving the hosts, India and New Zealand was the lone tournament to be played beyond the first week of September.
Scenic backdrop
But if the clouds ease, the audience would be in for a visual treat, literally and symbolically. The stadium’s backdrop may not be as visually pleasing as it is in Cape Town or Dharamsala. Yet this stadium, born after Sri Lanka Cricket put the historic Asgiriya to rest, is amongst the most scenic ones in world cricket. It almost resembles a bowl placed between the mountains. The minimal concrete structures and grass banks either side of the square embellish the beauty of this only active stadium in the hill countryside of Sri Lanka.
Since it opened to international cricket in 2009, it has become a permanent venue and is among a few in the island that plays hosts to all formats. For a region heavily dependent on tourists, the arrival of the Asia Cup to the hillside comes with mixed emotions. With two key rivalries – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka and India vs Pakistan – set to renew and fans expected to throng the region, thanks to the numerous picturesque destinations in the vicinity, the tourism sector has been eagerly waiting for the tournament to begin.
Hotels and resorts in the region are already sold out. Most rooms are sold at higher prices than usual; restaurants and eateries are keeping themselves well-stocked in anticipation of a windfall. They were counting hours, but were left grim-faced due to the unexpected or the late arrival of rain.
But it is difficult to blame the cricket board or the venue. As the Asian Cricket Council locked Sri Lanka as one of the hosts of the hybrid model Asia Cup, Colombo and Pallekele were not the first choice host cities. It is learnt that the SLC preferred to host the tournament in Dambulla, a dry region in the central part of the country that usually doesn’t receive rainfall during the period. Out of the 56 ODIs, only three have been washed out and they came in the months of August, March and October.
However, it is understood that the Indian team firmly refused to play in Dambulla, a city it hasn’t visited since 2010. Then came Pallekele and Colombo into the picture. For the locals, many of whom are dependent on farming and tourism, the rains have brought smiles. With Wednesday being the last day of Poya festival, the arrival of monsoon gave more reasons to celebrate.
But rain or not, with a capacity crowd expected for the India-versus Pakistan fixture on Saturday, they have more reasons to rejoice and extend warm hospitality.
With India vs Pakistan set to renew, fans are expected to throng the region. (File) 
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