Security for the South African cricket team has been upgraded and the team will stay in Sri Lanka for now.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) general manager, cricket affairs, Brian Basson, said on Tuesday that CSA had appointed a top independent security consultant to evaluate the security situation in Sri Lanka after a bomb blast close to the team’s hotel in the capital, Colombo.
”Any decision we make will be based on his report,” said Basson. ”If he should decide that the situation is not safe for our players, we will get them out of there as soon as possible.
”The safety of our players is paramount. The security surrounding them has been beefed up to the level of the Sri Lankan president.”
Basson said the meeting between officials of the Sri Lankan, Indian and South African teams held on Tuesday had discussed changes to the itinerary for the triangular one-day international tournament.
”The match that should have been played today [Tuesday] was cancelled because the players were in no psychological state to focus on cricket. Today’s [Tuesday] match has been rescheduled for August 29, and the final will be played on September 2.”
The report by the independent security consultant, Greg Wiseman, is expected to be completed later on Tuesday. Basson said CSA will make their decision based on his report, and will also consult the players.
”We can’t just fly back because we are nervous about the situation,” he said. ”We have to conform to International Cricket Council regulations.”
Basson said for the time being, the team had been advised to stay in their hotel.
”We have been advised by the South African High Commissioner in Colombo that all indications are that the team, and cricket in general, do not appear to be targets in the civil unrest in Sri Lanka.”
He confirmed that representatives of the Indian cricket authorities had been involved in all discussions about the safety of the three teams. — Sapa