If you are a keen cricket fan, then as well as watching the latest matches and keeping up to date with all cricket scores, it can also be enjoyable to hear about what your favourite teams are doing off the pitch.
One of the most heart-warming stories of recent months is sure to be the announcement that the Australian cricket team donated all of their winnings from their tour of Sri Lanka to help the island nation.
A country in crisis
Sri Lanka is desperately in need of assistance, as it struggles to weather a crippling economic situation that has resulted in inflation of more than 50% and shortages of essential items such as medicine, food, and fuel.
The crisis is so severe that schools have been forced to close and the government even instituted a two-week ban on the purchase of fuel for all ‘non-essential’ vehicles.
As people struggled to cope with the lack of basic goods, protests swept the country. While the government has blamed Covid-19 for its economic woes, there are those who cite President Rajapaksa as the driving force behind his nation’s economic collapse. It was his government that introduced tax cuts in 2019 that would see a fall in revenue of over £1 billion. It was also under his government that Sri Lanka decided to focus on imports rather than exports, a choice that has seen the country’s foreign currency reserves plummet dramatically.
As the protests grew in number and vehemence, President Rajapaksa resigned, escaping the country to take refuge in Singapore after instating new acting president Ranil Wickremesinghe in his place. The new leader began his reign by declaring a state of emergency.
The Australian cricket team lends a helping hand
In the midst of this tumult and misfortune, the Australian cricket team’s tour has given the people of Sri Lanka something positive to focus on – and the news of their donation is sure to have been gratefully received.
Cricket Australia made the heart-warming announcement via social media, declaring, “Our Aussie men have donated their prize money from the recent tour of Sri Lanka to support children and families impacted by the nation’s worst economic crisis in decades”.
The money will be used by UNICEF Australia’s various programs to help provide the Sri Lankan people with vital aid. This will include the provision of clean, safe drinking water, food, medical care, and other essential services. AUS$45,000 is being donated in total, under the auspices of Test captain Pat Cummins – who also happens to be a UNICEF Ambassador – and national team captain Aaron Finch.
The Australian team played a series of matches in Sri Lanka throughout June and July 2022, winning the T20I series by 2-1. However, Sri Lanka rallied around and fended off the Aussies in the ODIs, claiming a 3-2 victory. As a result, the Australian tour ended with a 1-1 draw.
During the tour, the Sri Lankan cricket fans demonstrated their fondness and gratitude for their Australian visitors, dressing in Australia’s signature yellow, and chanting Australia’s name during the last ODI of the tour.
Following the cricket team’s generous donation, it seems certain that the relationship between the two countries will continue to be one of mutual high regard.
