South Africa pull out, tri-series put off

COLOMBO: South Africa has called it quits. After three days of agonising over security, the team has pulled out of the Unitech triangular series, reducing the championship to a three-match bilateral series between India and Sri Lanka.

Unconfirmed reports say efforts are on to upgrade the event to a five-match series. Sri Lanka Cricket president Jayanta Dharmadasa is believed to be in talks with Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar to facilitate that.

The South African withdrawal follows the submission of a report by a committee appointed by the International Cricket Council. The report said the current risk to the team is at an ‘unacceptable level’. The report, submitted by the Dubai-based Olive Group, also said, “The Sri Lankan Government is unable to guarantee the physical security of the team.”

The report, the South African team claimed, comes to the same conclusion drawn by their security consultant. South Africa had agreed to stay on in Colombo pending the inquiry of the ICC-appointed committee.

Meanwhile, India captain Rahul Dravid said his team had received inputs from the Indian high commission suggesting that there is no threat to his players.

“We’re happy to be staying and playing,” he said. “There is now some clarity over the whole situation.”

With the independent committee’s report confirming their ‘fears’, South Africa have escaped paying a hefty fine (about $2 million) to the ICC for not honouring its future tours programme. “We’ll now be talking to Cricket Sri Lanka for rescheduling the tournament,” said the Proteas’ coach Micky Arthurs, who read out Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola’s statement.

“In the light of the independent report by the Olive Group, appointed at the behest of ICC, we’ve no alternative but to bring the team home as soon as possible,” Majola’s statement said. But the statement conceded that “there is no evidence of any targeted threat to the South African team”.

Sri Lanka Cricket did not have a comment on the pullout. But it thanked the BCCI for its cooperation.

Following South Africa’s withdrawal, Majola’s proposed visit to the island nation has been cancelled. The team will leave Colombo in the next 48 hours.