Cricket: Huge fine sways tourists’ decision

Sri Lanka risked a US$2 million ($2.76 million) fine and possible suspension from the International Cricket Council if they had chosen to cut short their tour of New Zealand.

Reeling at the death toll from their homeland's worst natural disaster, the Sri Lankans were on Monday night directed by their board to honour their touring commitments and to continue with a re-arranged schedule.

The changes mean the postponement of today's one-dayer at Napier until January 11, a probable date change for either one or both of the tests, and a subsequent extension of the tour by two or three days.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden said yesterday the arrangements were designed to allow the Sri Lankans time to reflect on the tragedy and pay their respects to those lost, injured or displaced.

However, Sri Lankan board president Mohan de Silva said yesterday that the ICC's Future Tours Programme Agreement made no provision for the abandonment of a visit on compassionate grounds, and that there was no option but to continue.

"There is no way we could have cancelled the tour," said de Silva. "But we express our profound sorrow and deepest sympathies to all those families and individuals affected by the tsunami."

Under the ICC accord, a team can justify abandoning a tour only if their safety or security has been compromised, or if their government provides a clear direction against such a visit.

The agreement came under scrutiny earlier this year when England threatened to renege on their tour of Zimbabwe on moral grounds, and were subsequently threatened with monetary penalties and ICC suspension.

Sri Lanka's players were refusing all media requests yesterday, but manager Brendon Kuruppu said the entire party were "horrified" by the magnitude of the disaster, and a handful of players were more directly affected.

The mother of batsman Sanath Jayasuriya was reportedly injured in Matara when the tsunami struck, and the father of captain Marvan Atapattu had been trapped while visiting the town of Kataragama.

De Silva said Atapattu senior had since been located and had made contact with his family.

The Sri Lankan team will remain in Napier until Thursday, then fly to Queenstown to restart the one-day series on Sunday.

The tour will then move to Christchurch for the third match on Tuesday before heading to Wellington for the fourth on Saturday week, and to Napier for the re-scheduled fifth match on Tuesday week.

Meanwhile, most of the New Zealand players will play in tomorrow's round of the State Shield one-day competition, before re-assembling in Queenstown on Friday morning.

The only exceptions will be Kyle Mills, Chris Cairns and Brendon McCullum, all of whom have been exempted and will instead arrive in Queenstown tomorrow.

Mills is battling a back problem but is apparently making good progress; Cairns has been wrapped in cotton wool and wicket-keeper McCullum has been given the chance to have a break. The unexpected window might provide a silver-lining for Mills in particular, who was unlikely to play in today's postponed ODI, but is much stronger chance of being available for Queenstown.

New Zealand manager Ross Dykes said yesterday that any inconvenience to his players in terms of disrupted momentum paled into insignificance when compared to what the Sri Lankans were facing at the moment.

* Sri Lankan cricket star Muttiah Muralitharan said he was "lucky to be alive" after narrowly missing the tsunamis in his home country.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday that Muralitharan, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, said he had spent the weekend in the southern coastal city of Galle.

Just minutes after Muralitharan drove out of the city, it was devastated by tidal waves. "I missed the wave by 20 minutes," said Muralitharan. "I had only just left Galle, so I am very lucky to be alive."

Muralitharan said it would be difficult for him to join his team-mates before the first test against New Zealand in Hamilton, given the extent of devastation.

"Something like this has never happened to my country," he said. "In my opinion, it is not the right time for cricket."

Tour changes

ODI scheduled to be played in Napier today postponed to January 11.

Possible date changes for the first test in Hamilton (currently set to start on January 15) and the second test in Wellington (set to start on January 22).