Sri Lanka Hosts a World Twenty20 Contest

Cricketing first for the Asian continent

Sri Lanka’s previous opportunity to host one of the major tournaments in the cricketing cosmos – the 1996 Wills World Cup – had been overshadowed by explosive events at home; and although the co-hosts went on to lift the trophy at Lahore later, a terrorist attack on the Central Bank of Sri Lanka had left players and spectators shaken.

In fact, the would-be host country received walkovers from two sides in the preliminary rounds – the Australian and West Indian teams forewent playing their matches at the stricken island venue because of security concerns.

So when another big chance came along, Sri Lanka pulled out all the stops and left no stone unturned in organising the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 competition.

It was a premier opportunity for Sri Lanka in the T20 version of the gentlemen’s game, this being but the fourth ICC World Twenty20 contest – the previous competitions having been held in South Africa, England and the West Indies.

And it was the first time the privilege of playing host to an increasingly popular version of cricket was being afforded to an Asian nation. To add prestige to the pomp and circumstance of the event, Sri Lankan pace bowler Lasith Malinga was nominated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to be the tournament’s event ambassador.

The format of the competition was to be the same as the 2011 edition with four groups of three teams apiece in the preliminary rounds, followed by a ‘Super Eight’ round in which two groups of the four top sides would proceed to thrash it out. Two top teams from the Super Eights would play a semifinal each, and the winners in each group were to face off in the final.

All matches were played at one of three venues: the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo; the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Sooriyawewa, Hambantota; and the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium near Kandy.

Sri Lanka – in addition to its ever popular players – also featured Kumar Dharmasena who stood in the ranks of 13 umpires and Ranjan Madugalle who served as one of four match referees.

After 27 matches witnessed by an estimated 640,000 crowd of attendees, West Indies won their first T20 title and hosts Sri Lanka were runners-up in a 12 side event that saw host country spinner Ajantha Mendis take the most number of wickets (15) in a tournament that was played between 18 September and 7 October.

Sri Lanka’s previous opportunity to host one of the major tournaments in the cricketing cosmos – the 1996 Wills World Cup – had been overshadowed by explosive events at home