|| CF DESK ||

Captain Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana expressed their frustration, citing the unfairness of the schedule and logistical arrangements of the ongoing T20I World Cup in USA.

Sri Lanka's cricket players were in a rush to complete their media commitments after their first match against South Africa, which they lost by six wickets.

The urgency stemmed from the need to immediately return to their hotel in Brooklyn, an hour and a half away, to pack, check out, and catch a 6 PM flight to Dallas for their crucial must-win match against Bangladesh.

This scramble followed a grueling seven-hour wait at Miami airport for a delayed flight to New York.

Team manager Mahinda Halangoda confirmed that a formal complaint had been lodged with the ICC, though he admitted it was too late to expect any changes.

"So unfair for us, we have to leave every day [after the match] because we are playing [at] four different venues. It's unfair. The flight we took from Florida, from Miami, we had to wait like eight hours in the airport to get the flight. And we came around. We were supposed to leave at 8pm but we got the flight at 5am. It's really unfair for us, but it doesn't matter when you play [on the field]." Theekshana said.

When asked what kind of logistics and scheduling would have been fairer on Sri Lanka, Theekshana said, "I can't say the names of the teams that have got the opportunity to stay in the same place but their hotel is only 14 minutes to the ground. Ours was like one hour and 40 minutes.

Out of the 20 participating teams, Sri Lanka is one of only two teams, along with the Netherlands, that is playing its first-round matches at four different venues.

In contrast, teams like India and South Africa play three matches at the same venue, staying in nearby accommodations. During their stay in New York, Sri Lanka's hotel was located in downtown Brooklyn, which complicated their schedule, especially for early-morning matches. These early starts are designed to cater to TV audiences in India and South Asia.

In New York, they got in on the delayed flight and had only one day before the match. They chose to rest. South Africa, who had been around for a while, chose to train at the practice facility and then came to the venue - which might have helped them in the game.

Captain Hasaranga was asked if the logistical troubles had a bearing on their performance.

"We can't say that. We had a tough time last few days. All four games in four venues. It's hard. We didn't know [anything about the conditions here]. This is our first game in New York. Next game in Dallas, we don't know [anything about the conditions there]. Next game is in Florida where we played two games, that's the only plus point we have." Hasaranga said.

As they rush to make their flight to Dallas, it will be small consolation for Sri Lanka that they will save a day and will have ample time to train for the Bangladesh game.