MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — As the Sri Lankan national cricket team practices at Church Street Park in Morrisville on Monday afternoon, Mayor Pro Tem Satish Garimela watches from a bench near the edge of the lawn.
“When we heard about it, we were all excited,” Garimella said in an interview at the team hotel earlier in the day.
Volunteer Neil Charangi added: “This is great for the community, great for Morrisville and great for all cricket fans.”
Sri Lanka, who are ranked seventh nationally in the International Cricket Council's ODI team rankings, are using the site in preparation for the ICC World Cup.
“There's a lot of greenery, quite a lot of open areas and parks. We're really enjoying it,” said Mahinda Harungode, the team's manager.
While their presence is a win for the area's large cricket fan base, Garimella said it was the initial hope that it would serve as a tournament venue. Last year, ICC officials toured Church Street Park and shared recommended updates that can better position Morrisville for future opportunities.
“I want to have that standard because it can be used at an international standard and I want people to use the pitch. I want Morrisville's name to be better known,” Garimella said.
Garimella said these upgrades include an improved drainage system, a pavilion with changing rooms and broadcasting facilities, and two additional pitches. In total, he estimated it would cost at least $5 million to $6 million.
“We just went through the budget stage, so this is just the first story that's coming out,” Garimella said, referring to possible contributions from Wake County. It's coming,'' he explained.
Funding from the town or private companies is also a possibility, and the town recently passed a sponsorship resolution to increase support.
“This is a starting point, depending on the town's interest, investment and support they can provide,” said Rajesh Uppalapati, a Morrisville resident and volunteer with the Sri Lanka team.
Garimella said the Sri Lankan team was responsible for more than 300 hotel nights during their stay and had already shared their insights on how to care for their lawns.
“Cricket is new[to the United States]so they're asking us to help them, and we're passing on all the knowledge we know about pitches and grounds,” Harangode explained.
Cricket is particularly popular in Morrisville, where more than a third of the town's residents are Indian-American or from other Southeast Asian countries. Uppalapati said there are more than 200 local teams across the Triangle and the visit of the Sri Lankan team will be an opportunity for youth to watch the best teams in the world.
“It will be a great experience to see how they train, how they play, how they talk and how they actually maintain their dignity. , it's very good to have a good vision,'' said fellow volunteer Venkat Pasmarthi.
Triangle Cricket League youth players helped practice Monday and are scheduled to return Tuesday.
“We want to be called the cricket capital of the United States,” Garimella said.
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