Negotiate with ECB, Minister tells IC

Chris Dhambarage

The Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge yesterday handed over the green light to the cricketers to participate in the high profile Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament second session which is scheduled for April next year.

This means that Sri Lanka’s proposed tour to England is in the balance as it clashes with the Indian Premier League where skipper Mahela Jayawardena, vice captain Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan have all signed lucrative contracts with the Indian franchise.

Minister Lokuge said that he decided to give prominence for the Indian Premier League ahead of the England tour as the Twenty20 tournament was in the calendar from the beginning.

However the English tour which comprises two tests and three one day internationals was arranged recently after England suspended cricketing ties with Zimbabwe due to political reasons.

The Minister had requested Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee to negotiate with the England and Wales Cricket Board for alternative dates and proceed with the tour. However SLC sources revealed that the ECB is yet to response to their proposals and if the tour is cancelled Sri Lanka Cricket will be losing approximately Rs. 200 million.

The Minister also noted that he was disturbed after Sri Lanka Cricket lifted the ban on the Indian Cricket League (ICL) rebel players which allowed them to compete in the upcoming Premier League domestic tournament.

However a SLC statement announced that all ICL contracted players will not be permitted to represent teams at District, Provincial or International level.

Former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu, Avishka Gunawardena, Russel Arnold and Upul Chandana are the players linked with the ICL where the second session will commence on October 10.

The Minister stressed the importance of working together with the Indian Cricket Board which has had close relationships with the SLC for a long time.

He had also warned the SLC Interim Committee for not informing him regarding the lifting of the ban on the ICL contracted players.

The Minister further noted that he is presently preparing the ground work to hold Cricket Board elections for the first time in four years.

The last elected administration was dismissed by the then Sports Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga in March 2005 barely a year after elections on charges of financial misappropriation.

Since then the SLC has been run by an interim committee headed by Sports Ministry appointees. But Minister Lokuge reaffirmed that it is high time for cricket board elections and is keen to make way for an elected body within the next couple of months.