All World Cup venues in Sri Lanka will be ready, Minister says

Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage says that work on all World Cup venues has reached the final phase and they will be completed as scheduled.

After inspecting the construction work at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, the Minister said the infrastructure modernization the stadium is undergoing now will be expedited and the venue will be ready by the end of this month.

The Minister assured that the work on the pitch and reconstruction of the stadium with modern facilities will be completed by December 31 and the venue will be entrusted to the Sri Lanka Cricket.

The venues are expected to be handed over to the ICC by the 15th of January nest year.

A recent ICC report has said that an inspection team has raised serious concerns on the preparedness of the venues in all three countries hosting the event, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The World Cup 2011 is scheduled to begin on February 19th, while the first match to be played in Sri Lanka will be at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambanthota on February 20th.

Six of the 11 matches and one semi final to be played in Sri Lanka will be at the R. Premadasa Stadium while two will be hosted at Hambanthota and another three will be at the Pallekale Stadium in Kandy.

Sri Lanka tested out the RPS and Pallekele venues during the rain drenched Test series with the West Indies but the incessant rain prevented them from playing the ODI series at the Hambanthota venue.