The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have decided to award a ‘well-deserved’ prize money of USD 50,000 for the Asia Cup 2023 curators and groundsmen in Colombo and Kandy. The news was revealed by ACC president Jay Shah, who took to Twitter to make the announcement.
Rain and poor weather has been a regular fixture during the continental showpiece event this year, due to which many fixtures have been canceled, cut short or extended for multiple days. Due to rain, the pressure and responsibility fell on the groundsmen and curators, who put in a lot of effort to make sure fans got to witness some action.
Taking to Twitter, Shah wrote, “Big Shoutout to the Unsung Heroes of Cricket! The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are proud to announce a well-deserved prize money of USD 50,000 for the dedicated curators and groundsmen at Colombo and Kandy. Their unwavering commitment and hard work made the Asia Cup 2023 an unforgettable spectacle. From pitch perfection to lush outfields, they ensured the stage was set for thrilling cricket action. This recognition highlights the critical role these individuals play in cricket’s success. Let’s celebrate and honour their yeoman services! #UnsungHeroes #AsiaCup2023 @ACCMedia1 @OfficialSLC”
The groundsmen were most notably called into action during India’s Super 4 stage fixture vs Pakistan last week. The original day of the fixture and reserve day was disturbed by rain, but due to their efforts, fans got to see both teams play, with delays as India defeated their arch-rivals by 228 runs. The match saw Virat Kohli, KL Rahul slam entertaining unbeaten centuries. Kohli smacked 122* off 94 balls and Rahul hammered 111* runs off 106 deliveries. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav took a five-wicket haul for India’s bowling department.
Godfrey Dabare, who is the national curator for Sri Lanka Cricket, revealed how he managed the India vs Pakistan Super 4 match, and stated that his team hired 100 labourers, whereas normally, they would use 60 workers. Speaking to Indian Express, he said, “We took about 100 labourers for a match, otherwise there are 60 skilled workers and if needed I borrow them from Pallekele, Galle, Hambantota. But because of the rains this time, I had to bring more.”
Dabare also pointed out that his team didn’t use the super sopper and did their work manually. “We have to do that to remove the water because unlike others, we don’t use the super sopper. In case of heavy rains, it takes lot of time to soak the water and it absorbs very little water. But by doing it manually, we can save up the time, because we just move it from one cover to the other and since our drainage facility is good, we just need about 45 minutes to restart”, he said.
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