JOIN USA local drinking water supplier strongly defended its product on Tuesday even as the World Twenty20 organisers jettisoned their bottled water after several players went down with stomach flu.
LAUGFS Aqua System said they had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) for samples of suspect bottles of water, but got no immediate response except a statement that their product was off the table.
“We have done our own tests and confirmed that there is nothing wrong with our water,” said LAUGFS general manager Chaminda Wijesinghe. “We asked the ICC to give us water samples but we have got no response yet.”
He said players and officials may also have consumed bottles from other suppliers rather than LAUGFS mineral water while staying at Sri Lankan hotels.
“We don’t know what caused the problem but I can tell you it is not our water,” Wijesinghe said. “I am drinking it all the time.”
Several players from New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and Australia have reportedly been treated for stomach bugs since their arrival in Sri Lanka, with Kiwi Tim Southee even requiring hospital treatment for dehydration.
An ICC spokesman had said on Monday that the brand of bottled water used by players and officials had been replaced. Players were supplied with a locally-produced American branded mineral water during training on Tuesday.
Since last Thursday, there had been no reports of any player coming down with stomach flu. "Although there is no evidence to suggest that water was the cause of any illness, the product supplied for use in the tournament has been replaced," said the spokesman.
A Sri Lankan source connected with the tournament said public health inspectors had checked the food given to the players and found nothing untoward."If an entire team, or at least a majority, go down, we can understand that there is something wrong with the food and beverages department," he said.
"Just a few players have been affected. No official complaints had been lodged by any of the teams,” he added.
The news of players getting infected after drinking water supplied by a local firm had forced International Cricket Council to take immediate action and asks the local organisers to take a serious look into thematter. That Sri Lanka have been experiencing monsoon too have added to the situation, and ICC has been looking for ways to address the complaints.