India not to send players for SLPL

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stuck to its guns on the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL). During a tele-conference with the top officials of the Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC), BCCI secretary N Srinivasan told the SLC officials that the Indian board would not be in a position to allow its players to take part in Lanka’s version of the IPL.

A disappointed SLC took the decision in its stride.

“It is their decision and we cannot force them to change their position,” Sri Lanka sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told DNA on Thursday. “We knew that India was not going to change its stand. That was the reason why we did not go to India. We made an attempt to convince them but the BCCI told us that it cannot reverse its stand. They seem to have some apprehensions over the tournament,” the sports minister said. SLC chairman DS de Silva and secretary Nishantha Ranatunga spoke to the Indian board officials on Thursday.

The BCCI, it may be recalled, recently decided not to let its players take part in the SLPL as they think it as a private tournament. Twelve Indian players were to take part in the 16-day event.
The minister said although Sri Lanka is disappointed, it continued to hold the Indian board as a close friend.

“The decision is not going to affect our relations. The BCCI continues to be our friend,” he said. Asked if Sri Lanka will release its players for the Indian Premier League (IPL), the minister said that decision will be determined by the FTP. “We will decide that matter basing on our team’s international commitment. But take my word, we will not be influenced by BCCI’s refusal to release the players,” he remarked.

The absence of Indian players is going to have a huge impact on the television revenue for the SLPL. With less than a month left for the start of the tournament, the Lanka board is yet to finalise a broadcaster. Now that the league will not have any Indian flavour, the television deal could be affected.

“A lot depended on the Indian participation. Now that the Indians are not coming, we will try to sign a deal with a broadcaster internally in our country,” the minister admitted.

The SLC initially thought of disbanding the tournament. Then it wanted to hold the inter-provincial tournament without the participation of foreign players. But as the SLC has already signed up with some foreign players, it has decided to go ahead with the tournament with the available foreign players. The tournament will be held from July 19 to August 4, DNA reports.