COLOMBO – Sri Lankan cricket team’s head coach, Sanath Jayasuriya, has announced that he will donate his match fee and the earnings from the team’s ongoing tour of Pakistan to support victims of Sri Lanka’s devastating floods.
In an official statement, Jayasuriya said that the entire squad, including players and support staff, is deeply saddened by the catastrophic flood situation back home.
“We have decided to donate our match fees and the earnings from the Pakistan tour to the flood victims,” he said.
Jayasuriya added that the team intends to do even more once they return home. “We must take care of each other in these difficult times,” he urged.
Earlier in the day, the local authorities confirmed that the death toll from the heavy rains and floods caused by Cyclone ‘Datta’ had reached 123.
According to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre, 123 deaths have been confirmed, while 130 people remain missing. Officials told Reuters that most fatalities resulted from landslides triggered by torrential rains—up to 300 mm in northern and eastern regions.
The Disaster Management Centre further reported that more than 44,000 people across the country have been affected by the cyclone and flooding. Many displaced residents have been relocated to schools and public buildings serving as temporary shelters.
Sri Lanka’s Irrigation Department warned that flood conditions may worsen in the already-affected eastern and southern regions, while the capital Colombo is also at risk.
Officials say many people who were stranded on rooftops due to rising water levels have been rescued through helicopter operations.
