COLOMBO: The entire team of ground staff, who worked tirelessly to get the grounds in Colombo and Pallekele match-ready for the Asia Cup in the midst of full-blown monsoon season, will be rewarded with prize money of USD 50,000, Asian Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah announced on Sunday.
"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," Shah wrote on 'X', formerly Twitter.
USD 50,000 will roughly be 16 million in Sri Lankan rupee.
"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!" added Shah.
The tournament was originally supposed to be hosted by Pakistan before India's reluctance to play in the neighbouring country, forced ACC to organize the event in 'Hybrid Model' with nine games allotted to Sri Lanka.
However, Lanka's weather conditions soon became a challenge, especially for their curators and groundsmen, as they constantly struggled to get the ground ready on time.
While India's opening fixture against arch-rival Pakistan in Pallekele was washed out, a couple more encounters throughout the competition saw rain interruptions bring the Duckworth-Lewis method into effect.
The Super-4 meeting between India and Pakistan spilt onto the reserve day, where the former prevailed. Sunday's final also witnessed a delayed start to the match, with the rain threat still looming large.