Followinga week of wrangling, a truce was reached between the Board for Control for Cricket in India and Sri Lanka Cricket with the island’s cricketers allowed to stay on till May 18 to fulfill their IPL commitments.
With the BCCI mounting pressure to extend the May 5 deadline imposed after the World Cup final in Mumbai two weeks ago, SLC relented after a meeting with the country’s sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthga-mage.
According to an agency report, Aluthgamage said it had been decided that the IPL players could join the team by May 19 in London.
“We are giving players more time to play the IPL before joining the team for the England tour after several requests from the Indian cricket board,” Aluthgamage said.
“The IPL boys have to be in London in time to play the practice match on May 19. I think the boys and the BCCI will be happy with the compromise,” the minister said.
The Sri Lankans open their tour of England on May 14 with a practice match against Middlesex, followed by another warm-up game against England Lions on May 19.
As many as 11 Sri Lankans, including Deccan Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Kochi Tuskers captain Mahela
Jayawardene are participating in the IPL.
SLC had taken the stand that their players would have to return to attend a preparatory camp. After a series of communications with the BCCI, Aluthgamage seems to have brokered peace.
“I have received several emails from the BCCI and I will meet the SLC officials to discuss things. We might extend the May 5 deadline. The players have to leave for England on May 10 and we might consider postponing that too.
“We don’t want to embarrass the BCCI,” the minister said. He was scheduled to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse late Thursday evening to sort out the issue.
Sri Lankan players and their board have been at loggerheads ever since they were told to cut short their stay in India. With a few IPL owners kept in the dark on all this, the BCCI decided to intervene.
However, newly-appointed Sri Lankan skipper Tillekaratne Dilshan put his weight behind the administration. “Personally, I am not unhappy to return early. Playing for my country is more important than playing the IPL. I think everyone else will feel the same. We need to prepare together to build up for the England tour,” he said.
“According to us, the players were to stay till May 21. The franchises were also under the same impression. But now they want to go back early, and that is not appropriate,” said BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla. The statement did not go down well with SLC, which retaliated.
“The BCCI has asked us to reconsider our decision, but we have not changed our stand. We did sign a no-objection agreement with the players to play in the IPL. But there was no mention of a date set for their return. “I am sure the BCCI will understand that country must come first,” said SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.
Another source from SLC confirmed that there was no verbal commitment to the players on the return date.
A senior BCCI official confirmed that their stance was clear. “We are working in the best interests of the team owners and at the same time understand the importance of players placing their country first. If the original commitment is met, there will be no issue at all.”