By their very nature, Sri Lankans are a happy people. Even at the height of the Civil War which ravaged the tear-drop island for decades, the average person on the street found reasons to flash a million-dollar smile. The Sri Lankans are a very proud bunch too – proud of their rich culture and heritage, but also of their street, their city, their province, their country. You will hardly see litter lying around, and even in heavy traffic, you will hardly hear a honk in anger. Drivers will wait patiently to let pedestrians cross the road and even though language can be a massive barrier, they go out of their way to assist strangers and newcomers to their nation.
Sri Lanka thrive on their massive natural resources, with export of tea, coffee and spices headlining their economy, but the one biggest contributory factor to the exchequer is tourism. The hospitality industry had taken a huge hit as the Civil War hurtled to a climax, but Sri Lanka is now a preferred tourist destination again, with its breathtaking beauty and the numerous spots of historical attraction drawing people back by their thousands.
It was no surprise, then, that Sri Lanka as a whole and Colombo in particular braced for one big party on February 15 when India and Pakistan were pencilled in to lock horns at the R Premadasa Stadium. Political compulsions have precluded the possibility of these two neighbours playing against each other in their own respective backyards; Dubai and Colombo have emerged as viable alternatives for obvious reasons, and once the International Cricket Council announced the schedule for the 2026 T20 World Cup, the buzz in this part of the world was unmistakable.
Such is the urge to consume this product that cricket-crazy fans willing to loosen their purse strings think little of travelling half the world for three and a half hours of entertainment and sport packaged beautifully. Four and a half years back in Australia, Indian supporters came from as far away as Rio de Janeiro to partake of the big-ticket showdown at the iconic MCG, while a year and a half back, New York was swamped by hundreds from India who used the World Cup as an opportunity to take a bite off the Big Apple.
Colombo, of course, isn’t as far away for the lay Indian as Melbourne or New York, so there was a clamour for match tickets, as well as for air tickets and accommodation. For the locals, business is business and they saw an opportunity to make a good livelihood, if not a killing. There were even suggestions in some quarters that, given the unlikelihood of India and Pakistan kissing and making up any time soon, a stadium with a bigger capacity than Premadasa (35,000) needed to be considered.
From cricket fever to economic stakes: Sri Lanka’s high hopes hang in the balance
As the match tickets were snapped and hotels were bursting at the seams with rooms usually costing US $150 ratcheting up at least five times came the dampener on February 1 that Pakistan would boycott the Indian match. It was a blow to the gut to many, not least to the tournament itself, the sport’s governing body and to the huge hospitality industry in Sri Lanka. Understandably, in a bid to minimise their losses, those intending to travel hit cancellation mode. Suddenly, rooms became available for a penny even though the big hotel chains didn’t take that much of a hit because of their strict and smart cancellation clauses.
Just how much Sri Lanka feared the worst became evident when Shammi Silva, the president of Sri Lanka Cricket, officially urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider their boycott stances. Sri Lanka Cricket President Shammi Silva wrote to the PCB, pointing out that Pakistan’s selective participation would directly impact the Sri Lankan board and may have far reaching consequences, including huge financial losses and a broader economic fallout. The letter reflected on the long-standing relationship between SLC and PCB built on the foundations of mutual respect, and expected “the same spirit of reciprocity to prevail,” adding that security, neutrality, and professionalism would be of the highest standard.
Pakistan’s about-turn on February 8 hasn’t quite had the desired result in terms of demand because there is a sense of disillusionment, coupled with sky-high prices that have sucked the spirit out of the aspiring travelling fan. Air fares have gone north in the last six days; a return ticket from New Delhi to Colombo peaked at ₹1.18 lakh (up from the normal ₹30,000), while the Chennai-Colombo-Chennai weekend sojourn costs a cool ₹54,475.
Local tour operators are feeling the pinch more than established chains. Rex Fernando, who has recently ventured into the tours and travel industry, finds himself in a quandary, having made hotel bookings and acquired match tickets in anticipation of a big rush. “But because of the geopolitical tensions and the air of uncertainty until a week back, the response has been a little lukewarm,” he sing-songs. “Many of them are unwilling to accept that it is possible to get a good hotel at a decent rate despite the latest developments because that’s how we are programmed. They feel the accommodation must be dodgy if one hasn’t ramped up the prices in this climate!”
A friend from Mumbai had his booking cancelled because the same room he had reserved two months ago, with the proviso that the payment would be made on arrival, for US $45 was now going at US $80. Individuals like Fernando are still determined to make an honest living but clearly, not everyone is on the same page.
Whether the Premadasa will be bursting at the seams remains to be seen. Pakistan have been in Sri Lanka for nearly two weeks now but both their Group A matches have been held at the SSC grounds, so the Premadasa will be as new to them in this tournament as it will be for Suryakumar Yadav’s men. The usual bustle and energy a day before an India-Pakistan clash in a World Cup is somewhat AWOL, but that will most likely change, come Sunday and another chapter in this storied rivalry.
