“We hope and pray that India will participate,” Nishantha Ranatunga, SLC secretary said yesterday. He said all international cricket governing bodies have been contacted to ensure foreign participation in the event. The tournament was aborted last year due to pulling out by Indian players.

The SLC is expected to get benefit to the tune of USD 300,000 by holding the seven-team event which gets underway on August 10 ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup to be hosted by Sri Lanka in September. u00a0