3.51 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Sri Lanka 'IPL' to 'go ahead' despite Indian boycott

Published
By Agencies

The inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) would go ahead as planned even without the participation of Indian players, Sri Lankan Cricket Secretary said on Friday.

"We will go ahead with the tournament with or without Indian players," SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told reporters.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has once again 'rejected' SLC's appeal to let Indian stars play in the SLPL, scheduled to be held in August.

The BCCI feels that if it allows the players to play in the SLPL, it will have to let them appear in T20 leagues organised by other Test-playing nations.

Besides, the Indian team has a cramped itinerary in the coming months - it is likely to travel to Sri Lanka for an ODI and T20 series in July.

In August, India will host New Zealand for a two-Test series. "They (SLC) did approach us, but we may not be in a position to send our players," a BCCI official told Times Of India on Thursday.

Ranatunga, however, said that SLC had not been officially told that Indian players would not take part in SLPL.

The SLPL is being scheduled for August ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September-October.

SLC is hoping to get those Indian cricketers who won't make it to the national team. But as of now, the Indian board's reluctance has poured cold water on the plan.

"BCCI is not convinced. But we are going ahead with the league this time," a SLC official said.

The SLPL was set to be launched last year itself but the non-availability of Indian players stymied the event.

Then, the BCCI refused to play ball as it suspected former IPL supremo Lalit Modi's hand behind the league. The cricket board mandarins believed that the event management company, which owned the commercial rights of the event, had something to do with Modi. This year, the BCCI hasn't taken much time in responding to SLC's overtures unlike last year which eventually led to cancellation of the event.

More than a month back, BCCI president N Srinivasan was quoted as saying that the board would examine a league's structure before giving Indian players the go-ahead.