• In response to backlash cum outburst

The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Grounds at Maitland Place in Colombo – one of the country’s oldest cricketing venues, will host a Test match for the first time in 16-months, during Bangladesh men’s team’s forthcoming all-format tour of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) releasing the tour itinerary on Monday (5), announced that Dhananjaya de Silva’s men will feature in two-Tests in June against the visitors. 

Afterwards, the hosts led by Charith Asalanka are scheduled to contest Bangladesh in three ODIs and T20Is throughout July.

Sri Lanka previously played a red-ball game at the famed grounds – currently the home of SLC, when they met Afghanistan in a one-off Test in February, 2024 which they clinched by 10-wickets.

Since then, the Lankans played four Tests at home – two Tests each against both New Zealand and Australia at the Galle International Stadium.

They made a clean sweep of the games against the Black Caps late last year, while being blanked themselves at the hands of the Aussies early this year.

The unprecedented series whitewash suffered at the hands of the ICC world Test champions, precipitated a backlash from both critics and fans alike.

This prompted the Sri Lanka captain to publicly question the wisdom of continuing to play Tests at a stretch at the spin-oriented iconic venue in the Southern Province, instead of spreading games to other venues across the nation.

This outburst from de Silva, seems to have prompted the SLC think tank to pencil in only a solitary red-ball fixture to Galle this time around, while opting to play the second and final Test at the SSC.

The upcoming two-Test match series against the tourists will also be Sri Lanka’s sole home series of 2025, as it has been scheduled as per the ICCs Future Tours Programme.

After these Tests, the island nation will be bereft of further red-ball fixtures on the calendar at least until mid-2026, which is also a penitential 12-month gap between matches.

The three-match T20I series will be crucial for both teams as they prepare for the Asia Cup to be staged in September this year.

The T20I leg of the tour will also be of particular importance to Sri Lanka as they are slated to co-host the ICC men’s T20I World Cup with India early next year. 

Bangladesh Tour of Sri Lanka 2025 Schedule

Tests

1st Test: 17-21 June, Galle

2nd Test: 25-29 June, SSC

ODIs

1st ODI:  2 July, Khettarama

2nd ODI: 5 July, Khettarama

3rd ODI: 8 July, Pallekele

T20Is

1st T20I:  10 July, Pallekele

2nd T20I: 13 July, Dambulla

3rd T20I: 16 July, Khettarama

(JK)