The second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka may be moved from Colombo to Galle, owing to the possibility of political demonstrations in the capital.
While at no stage have cricket matches been threatened by the large-scale civil unrest seen in Sri Lanka over the last few months, and particularly in the past week, there are fears that masses descending on Colombo’s streets again may create logistical challenges for a Test match.
Sri Lanka Cricket has been at pains to point out that the island remained a viable cricket destination, even as they prepare to host a Lanka Premier League in the first few weeks of August, followed by an Asia Cup featuring nine teams.
There have been international matches in Colombo recently. Two of the three T20Is, and three of the ODIs from the Australia tour were all played at Khettarama stadium. While those games were almost uniformly well-attended, and went off as usual, the scale of the political demonstrations has increased substantially in Colombo since then. Khettarama was scheduled to host the second Test against Pakistan but if it shifts to Galle, this would be the third successive home Test series to be played exclusively at the venue.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo