Duleep to mediate in a bid to resolve crisis

Chris DHAMBARAGE

The Minister of Sports and Recreation Gamini Lokuge yesterday appointed Duleep Mendis Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Cricket to mediate and resolve the crisis between the SLC Interim Committee and the players who have signed to play in next year’s Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

The second session of the high profile Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament will clash with Sri Lanka’s tour to England next year and the Minister was expected to deliver the final verdict following a discussion with both parties.

However the Minister was forced to delay the final decision as the players had informed their inability to attend the meeting. As a result Duleep Mendis former Sri Lanka captain and the Chief Executive Officer of the SLC took over the responsibilities of finding a solution for this issue.

Mendis is scheduled to meet all players who have signed to play in the Indian Premier League during the weekend and is expected to provide a full report to the Minister before finalising the matter.

The SLC initially granted permission for the players to participate in the Indian Premier League for a period of one year.

The six week tournament will start on April 10 and will clash with the first Test match between England and Sri Lanka which is scheduled for May 8.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga are among those who have signed lucrative three year deals with the IPL franchises.

Sri Lanka accepted an invitation to tour England and play two Tests and three one day internationals after the ECB severed sporting relations with Zimbabwe because of the political unrest in the country.

As a result the ECB moved quickly to fill the void for two Test matches and three one day internationals during April and May 2009.

Lankans for Canada tourney

Meanwhile Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday confirmed their participation in the Twenty20 quadrangular limited overs tournament in Toronto, Canada from October 10 to 13.

Sri Lanka will join the hosts Canada, Pakistan and the West Indies in this inaugural event.

Gomes resigns

In another development Dian Gomes yesterday tendered his resignation from the Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee with immediate effect due to escalating business commitments. No replacement have been named yet.