 Given the decision by the BCCI to not send the Indian cricketers to participate
in the Sri Lanka Premier League, it has been said that the Sri Lankan sports
ministry has asked its board chairman and the secretary to meet the Indian board
over the issue. Accordingly, the Sri Lankan board chairman and secretary will
catch up with the BCCI on Wednesday, in what will be an attempt to make them see
the day of light about the SLPL and get the Indian players on board for the tournament.
Sri Lanka's sports minister, Mahindanda Aluthgamage, instructed DS de
Silva, the chairman, and Nishantha Ranatunga, the secretary, of SLC to
meet the BCCI to be able to discuss the problems that BCCI had with the tournament.
According to Aluthgamage, who spoke with a newspaper, he had asked the board officials
to meet their counterparts in India and convince them into playing in the SLPL.
Earlier, the BCCI had surprised everyone by refusing to entertain the request
that was made by the Indian cricketers who wanted to be a part of the SLPL. The
BCCI had refused to give them the NOC to play in the SLPL by saying that the tournament
was not being organised under the auspices of Sri Lankan board - it was a private
entity which was organising the tournament. They had said that they would not
be able to hold the Sri Lankan board responsible if there were issues that happened
later.
The Sri Lanka Cricket had said that the SLPL was not a privately owned
tournament; instead it was being organised by the Sri Lankan cricket board with
the marketing arm of the tournament being outsourced.
The sports minister said that given the kind of support that the two boards had,
they would try their level best to sort out the matters. He also added that the
first edition of the tournament from July 19 to August 4 this year will be played
as planned by the board.
Laying speculations to rest, the minister also reiterated that Lalit Modi
was not behind the organising of the tournament either directly or indirectly.
That was said to be one of the issues that the BCCI seemed to have with the
alleged presence of Modi behind the scenes in organising the tournament.
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