Sri Lanka Cricket touts the Ranagiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium as one of the best in the world. While their claim is a tad over-rated, there is no doubting that the complex, in itself, would make the grade as an international venue anywhere in the cricketing world.
The boundaries stretch to about 70 yards in all directions, though it has been brought in by about 10 yards for the tournament. A line of bougainvillea shrubs lines the perimeter, and it has grassy slopes, similar to Newlands at Cape Town or the Adelaide Oval.
The pavilion is an imposing structure and the press box on the third floor provides a panoramic view of the great rock on the right, the big lake on the left, and hills in the far horizon, right through 360 degrees. Between the hills and press box are miles of coconut and other plantations. A blowing wind crosses the stadium all the while, ensuring that the clouds don't stay.
A great stadium, but at a wrong place!
The first ball of the India-UAE match is being bowled in front of completely empty stands. Only the covered stands are occupied — with sundry school kids, policemen and support staff. But then, who needs a crowd?
{{/usCountry}}The first ball of the India-UAE match is being bowled in front of completely empty stands. Only the covered stands are occupied — with sundry school kids, policemen and support staff. But then, who needs a crowd?
{{/usCountry}}The TV rights take care of all your income. The people can wait. You see, Dambulla is not a place to play cricket. In fact, it is no place to do anything. Here, you need a rucksack, wanderlust and no work of any kind. This place is a sleepy hamlet, where the pace of life is as slow as it can get in a tourist spot.
So why build this big stadium here? No one will answer this question. Asian Cricket Council Chief Executive Syed Ashraful Haq had said before the beginning of the tournament, "Dambulla was chosen since it rains less here."
That may also be true, since all the matches of the tri-series in last May, involving the hosts, Pakistan and New Zealand, had to be shifted here as the other venue in Colombo was inundated by rain.
But the point here is that this cannot be done all the time. You cannot take the whole bandwagon to Dambulla every time it rains in Colombo, or Galle, or Kandy. The stadium was constructed in the first tenure of Thilanga Sumathipala, the president of the then Lankan Board. There was a lot of hue and cry over this, with the powerful Buddhist monks' lobby objecting to the stadium being built so close to their holy shrines.
They, as we understand, were ultimately made to see things BCCSL's way. Dambulla is little more than a village, and you will never ever have a full house here. Add to that the lodging and other facilities. All the hotels are resorts, for people who don't have to work, or even play.
And all the ills, when mentioned, get vehement nods of agreement from local officials, who then promptly put it on the head of the "previous office-bearers". This tournament did not need to come to Dambulla at all. Colombo has two stadiums and the entire ICC Champions Trophy was held there.