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Colombo: Sri Lanka Cricket's dithering Interim Committee is panicking over India's plans for the forthcoming triangular series also involving India and New Zealand.
The Sri Lankan cricket board recently announced the inclusion of India in an already finalised bilateral series with New Zealand.
When announced, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan had only mentioned that India had been invited to play in the triangular which would provide them with preparation for the Champions Trophy in late September.
Amidst reports about travelling Pakistani journalists being treated shabbily ahead of Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka, the news of uncertainty over the triangular is not going to do Sri Lanka Cricket any good to their image.
Reports suggest that the vigorous security at the venues and at the touring party's hotel have meant even the journalists are being frisked and if murmurs are to be believed, it might also lead to barring the Pakistani journalists from covering the first Test.
Sri Lanka are also to play a tri-series with India and South Africa in 2010, which was originally cancelled after South Africa withdrew following a bomb blast near their hotel in 2006. But Sri Lanka Cricket is yet to clarify if both the tri-series have been made part of the existing Future Tours Programme.
When asked, Srinivasan played down the confusion of whether or not the series has been made part of the FTP. "That is immaterial," he said. "We have arranged this series for the practice of the Indian team for the Champions Trophy."
Although the dates for the tri-series between India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are yet to be announced, media reports state that the tournament would be held between September 5-17 at the Premadasa Stadium here. The Champions Trophy would be held in South Africa from September 24 to October 5.
SLC interim committee secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, however, sang a different tune. He said, "The scheduled series in 2010 will be intact and will be played as scheduled. This is an entirely new series which we have negotiated."
However, it is believed that India can waltz out of the tricky situation by stating that the unscheduled triangular between India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand would be a replacement for the next year's series, as they are yet to clarify on the status of the series.
