Tour of Sri Lanka 2012       Test matches cancelled

Would have been India's 68th Test tour

    (July - 2012)

Would have been the eighth Test-playing tour of Sri Lanka by India

The planned two Test matches against India in July were scrapped and the tour became just five ODIs and a Twenty20 match. This was partly due to the players’ hectic schedule and partly because holding limited-overs games would be of greater financial benefit to Sri Lanka. Many TV viewers were showing little interest in Test matches whereas one-day games would have a huge effect on viewing figures.

Sri Lanka Cricket was short of funds after building new stadiums at Pallekele and Hambantota, and renovating the R Premadas Stadium in Colombo in preparation for the 2011 World Cup. 

Indian players gained a five-week break after the IPL as a result of cancelling the Test matches

As in the last ODI series between the sides in 2009, India gained a 4-1 victory.

Earlier, the Madras High Court had heard a petition in March seeking a halt to India vs Sri Lanka cricket matches because, whenever India beat Sri Lanka, Sinhalese fishermen would respond by attacking their counterparts on the Tamil Nadu coast.

Other Indian tours

Previous tour

Australia 2011-12

Next tour

South Africa 2013-14

Next Sri Lankan our

  None scheduled

Fixtures/Results

Postscript

Concern was expressed about the two boards cancelling another Test series(as with the South Africans in 2009) because of the threat to Test cricket.  However, financially it made good sense. They could sell limited-overs games to the television networks at a large profit  whereas Indian and Sri Lankan viewers showed little interest in watching the Test format.