October 02 Wednesday 2002
ICC event gives Sri Lanka another image boost

COLOMBO: England captain Nasser Hussain slumped back into the number one seat in the number one sidewalk cafe in front of the number one mall in Sri Lanka.

The casual scene reflected Sri Lanka's transformation from an island known chiefly for its war and suicide bombers to a potential tourist haven and investment site. Hussain and his England team-mates were in Colombo for the just-ended ICC Champions Trophy, a tournament that had no chance of being held in Sri Lanka until a ceasefire was signed in February to silence the guns after 19 years of fighting.

"We're very pleased we came to Sri Lanka and we believe that it has helped Sri Lanka, both economically and in terms of showcasing Sri Lanka to the world," said Malcolm Gray, President, International Cricket Council.

The tournament ended on Monday night with a rained-out draw between Sri Lanka and India. High-profile appearances by players such as Hussain, and the Australian stars who have boycotted Sri Lanka because of security worries, came in sharp contrast to previous cricket visits where players stayed locked in their hotels.

New Zealand, who also took part in the Champions Trophy, have had three tours interrupted by suicide bomb attacks, including one on the country's sole international airport last year that darkened the island's image until the truce was signed.

Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for a separate state in the north and east, but began direct peace talks with the government last month, raising hopes of a permanent end to the fighting that has killed more than 64,000 people.

Australia pulled out of preliminary World Cup matches in Sri Lanka in 1996 after the central bank was levelled by a massive bomb. Now, the Australians are happy to use the island as a neutral site for a Test starting tomorrow against Pakistan after refusing to tour there because of security concerns.

Australian coach John Buchanan even made a quick trip to Jaffna peninsula in the north to put on a coaching clinic for nearly 50 young Tamil players.

"Hopefully sport can play a part in helping to re-establish links between the two parts of the country but it will take time," he said.

Tourism fell 24 per cent in the first half of the year on a hangover from the airport attack, but jumped 125 per cent in August with similar increases expected for the rest of the year.