Safety Issues
On the eve of the tournament, the opening match, between Sri Lanka and South Africa, on the 14th of August 2006, was called off due to torrential rain. With reserve days for each scheduled match, this was not a major issue, but a bomb blast that occurred only 2 kilometres away from the stadium endagered the tournament. This was due to increased concerns from the South African players, who were ready to pull out, but were willing to continue playing if Security Evaluations deemed it safe. An official statement from the South African Cricket Board was made, stating that the team would pull out, due to the current risk being at an "unacceptable level".
The Sri Lankan board persuaded the Board of Cricket Control of India to consider a 5-match Bilateral series, but the BCCI accepted a 3-match series.
A revised fixtures list was released after the considerable delay and the decision made by the South Africans.
Read more about this topic: 2006 Unitech Cup
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