Thaindian News

Colombo, June 19 (IANS) Surprised and hurt, the Sri Lankan cricket board said Sunday that it will take up with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) the participation of Indian players in the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL).

A day after BCCI prevented 12 cricketers from participating in SLPL citing it is run by a private body, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the tournament is owned by the board. Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin and Irfan Pathan were among the 12 players.

“This tournament is approved by SLC. And Somerset are the marketing arm, having won the rights through a tender process. Nobody can say it is owned by Somerset,” SLC’s secretary Nishantha Ranatunga was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Somerset won the marketing and the logistics rights of the tournament. International Management (IMG) also does similarly for the Indian Premier League (IPL), where teams are owned by private franchises. But in SLPL, SLC owns all the seven teams and will also decide which player will play for which team.

The BCCI had earlier said that it would allow its players to take part in the league, but its sudden volte-face has left SLC “surprised and hurt”. BCCI president Shashank Manohar said that since the tournament is run by a private body, players won’t be allowed to take part.

The cash-strapped SLC wants the tournament to be a money spinner and desperately wants the participation of Indian players.

“Financially bankrupt SLC is to commission the army, navy and air force to help it maintain three cricket stadiums - Sooriyawewa, Kettarama and Pallekele. SLC has been rocked by allegations of fraud and short-sighted management policies including political interference that has led to its current predicament,” a news report in The Sunday Leader said.

Ranatunga, however, denied reports of bankruptcy but said the presence of Indian cricketers would surely add some star attraction to the tournament. Ranatunga said SLC will try to convince the BCCI.

“We need to explain the matter to the BCCI and whatever the concerns that they have, we need to give them an explanation. It is very important to have them (Indian players) as they add a lot of value and glamour to the tournament,” he said.

The tournament will be played July 19-Aug 4 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Several overseas stars like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Shahid Afridi, Daniel Vettori, Kevin O’Brien and Herschelle Gibbs have already been signed for the event.

The SLC had also acted tough with the Sri Lankan cricketers, asking them to return from the lucrative IPL to prepare for the England series. But they relented after BCCI threatened not to pay the Sri Lankan cricketers their dues.