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Mitchell Starc of Australia shakes hands with Mahela Jayawardena of Sri Lanka after play was abandoned due to rain in the fourth one-day international at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 20, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. (GETTY)
Sri Lanka are to seek an explanation from the ICC why the fourth one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against Australia was abandoned when it could have been resumed after a rain delay.
Chasing a target of 223, rain forced the players to rush to the pavilion with Sri Lanka 14 for no loss after 3.2 overs.
Sri Lanka head to the final match in Hobart on Wednesday leading the series 2-1.
The decision by the umpires to abandon the match after a 45-minute wait not only annoyed the crowd of 22,521, but also Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene as the conditions might have favoured his side if the play had been resumed.
Having seen far worse conditions against New Zealand in Pallekele only three months ago, Jayawardene was of the opinion that the game should have been completed, especially in a ground like the SCG which is known for its drainage system.
Jayawardene said they would write formally to Javagal Srinath, the ICC match referee, seeking an explanation for an inconsistency in rulings from one series to the next.
Srinath had given the explanation that the on-field umpires - Paul Reiffel and Marais Erasmus - felt conditions were "unfair" for the play to resume.
Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka the match referee, Andy Pycroft, had said play would only be stopped if he found it "unsafe" for the players.
"We played New Zealand three months ago and the interpretation we got in that series was quite different to what we got today," Jayawardene said after the match.
"We played in Pallekele with a lot of rain and during the World Cup (Twenty20) as well. I think we need to find a bit more consistency, so that's something we'll probably write and put across to them (the ICC) and see how we can go about it. At the SCG, I would assume that a ground of this magnitude you should be able to get a game in. Maybe they should do what we do back home and cover the entire ground."
Australia captain Michael Clarke also expressed his surprise, saying he had seen a lot more games at the SCG getting completed despite far worse conditions.
"I think this ground is known for its drainage," Clarke said. "I've played a number of games here where it's held a lot more water than that and we've managed to get back on and play games of cricket. I think the hardest thing was the water didn't really sink in, it sat on top, there was no sun around and no wind."
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