'People must say that Sri Lanka treated us the best'

Somewhere around May we identified the three stadiums. Once they were identified, there were two main sectors of the stadia that had to be worked on. One was the ground, which is most important, then the infrastructure of the stadia. When we started, the grounds were not ready at all, but I am very happy with the progress. We have already played matches in Pallakelle and by January-February we will have games in Hambantota. We are unlikely to have any problems with the Premadasa. Then comes the infrastructure, which we hope to start within the first and third weeks of January. We feel there is enough time and though we say that there is always a time limit for the infrastructure, we can go on till somewhere round January 15, 2011.

I am 100% sure they will be ready.

There are many reasons for that. When you have a World Cup, you've got to have a legacy behind it. Between 2004-2007, SLC brought the Pallakelle Stadium for about Rs 350 million and it was just lying there and going to waste. When we looked at the World Cup budget, we foresaw there were certain amounts that certain infrastructure developments could utilise. Hence we decided on Pallakelle.

The chairman wants to take cricket to the villages as much as possible. If you travel south from Colombo, once you pass Moratuwa there is no ground other than the Galle Stadium. There is nothing you can do with the Galle Stadium because of the heritage problems. It is very difficult to stage a one-day match because the maximum capacity is 7000 and you also cannot put up lights. With regard to Dambulla, we will have to spend at least Rs 800-1000 million to upgrade it with lights. The SSC and P Sara Oval, on the other hand, do not belong to SLC. The previous administrators had also looked at Hambantota as an international venue. Hambantota is a developing town. It is a place where there is easy access to the Uva Province, Sabaragamuwa Province and the Southern Province. We got 47 acres of land from the Board of Investment (BOI) and we looked at all the facilities before deciding to put up a stadium there.

We are expecting to spend about Rs 800 million on the infrastructure in Pallakelle. It is the replica of the Centurion Stadium in South Africa, with provisions for a hotel as well. Considering all that, completion in time for the World Cup will cost Rs 500 million and Rs 750-800 million altogether, with lights. The cost for the R Premadasa Stadium is between Rs 600-800 million. Hambantota will cost Rs 1-1.2 billion. Why we can afford to spend that kind of money is because SLC will technically receive about Rs 4.5 billion from the World Cup, which includes Rs 2.8 billion as a share for each Test-playing nation, Rs 1.03 billion as hosting fees and Rs 571 million for the World Cup secretariat. Out of this figure we want to spend anywhere between 60-70% on infrastructure development and keep 30% as savings for SLC.

It is funded by the SLC with the money from the ICC World Cup. The venue infrastructure cost is handled by SLC and the World Cup staging is handled by me. The budgets are not yet confirmed but it is earmarked that we will get Rs 571 million. For this office (World Cup secretariat) I can pay Rs 900,000 to SLC. All the equipment that is brought are on lease payments and then it belongs to us. Payments are made by the ICC and there is a rental charge. Technically, SLC will gain a minimum of about Rs 100 million and up to now we have spent about Rs 5 million for the development of offices. Our audits are also separated. We have to give a financial forecast and according to that, the ICC will send us the money periodically after which we have to give a separate audit to the ICC. If there is any money non-utilised, it goes back to the ICC.

Take the example of Dambulla. The funds were not properly used and there was no use of building such a huge stadium and keeping it open only to play ODIs. What we have done is we have opened up the stadium to anybody to go and practice and play matches. That province has to make maximum use of the stadium. Let the 'big' matches at the school-level be played there, only then will the stadium be utilised. Similarly, I hope the administrators who come after us should not have petty politics. They should not think that because it was built by X, Y or Z it should not be used for the development of the province. If the long term idea of SLC is to take cricket to the villages, the necessary infrastructure has to be there. It has to be best used by the people who administer cricket.

The staff is as per the ICC's template and are accordingly paid their salaries. The designation is given by them and they have allocated the budgets, we pick the personnel. By the time the World Cup comes, we will have about 250-plus volunteers. In the main office we will have about 20 and the ICC staff. Since this office is not enough, we will have an office at each of the venues. They will have their own staff and they will be operating from there.

At least I am vindicated by some of the criticism that was cast at me, that I can't handle it. If the ICC had said one negative thing my critics would have finished me off. Every time I have been entrusted with something, I know I can perform. You have to prove yourself by the quality of work that you do. The ICC was also surprised how we had planned everything and how it has gone along. It is my duty to see this World Cup runs exactly on the timelines, there should be no hiccups. I am quite sure that I am capable of doing it. I have the right men in the right places to do it and I have the utmost confidence in them. Sriyan Samararatne is working as logistics manager, Ruwan Gallage as finance manager and my cousin brother Kapila Dandeniya is commercial manager. All these guys have a good cricketing background. When I entrust something to someone I must be able to go home and sleep in peace, otherwise I won't be able to run it. We have also to look at the image of the country. My only target is, after the World Cup people must say that Sri Lanka had the best facilities, the best hotels and they treated us the best.

I want Sri Lanka to win the World Cup and the people must realise that Sri Lanka is a safe place. Sri Lanka has enough facilities to stage any cricketing event in the world. Right now the biggest and hottest thing is the IPL. After 2011 if the IPL committee thinks they can stage two to three matches here, that will be the ideal scenario.