Cricketers refuse to budge For the IPL

Cricketers refuse to budge Keen to keep Indian Premier League contracts come what may

By S.R. Pathiravithana The Sunday Times*********

Sri Lanka is to play a 20/Twenty game in Canada against Pakistan, West Indies or South Africa in October this year. Negotiations are also on for a Pakistan team to play a one day game. But nothing is confirmed said a Sri Lanka Cricket Board official yesterday. The Lankan cricketers won their last ODI outing beating India, after a huge revamp in their final line up both in batting and bowling. Commenting on the cricket crisis that appears to be looming over national team cricketers regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL) Sri Lanka Cricketers Union representative Graeme Labrooy was to meet the minister Gamini Lokuge outlining their stance on the matter. According to SLC sources the cricketers had refused to budge from the stance they have taken and are even contemplating retiring from the national team in order to honour the IPL contracts they have already signed. The cricketers have reportedly pointed out that the England tour had been hastily arranged without consulting the cricketers who were under IPL contracts. The IPL contracts had been signed before the SLC arranged the England tour to fill in for a cancelled tour by Zimbabwe. England had refused to change the itinerary. Arjuna Ranatunga has stated earlier that SLC has a memorandum of understanding with the England and Wales Cricket Board and that it must be honoured. Cricket strapped Sri Lanka are yet to finalize a series to fill the void created by the postponement of the Champions Trophy which was scheduled to take off on the 12th of this month in Pakistan. After a tri-series between Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa was scuttled since the latter refused to host it in their country, Sri Lanka made a bid to shift the venue to Sri Lanka and the series to be played by the end of this month. Sri Lanka which was the alternate venue for the Champions Trophy, had already done their home work on the matter and who is in the aftermath of hosting India in a 3-5 series is ready to stage such a series on their home soil. Ironically in the latest development, South Africa who suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of a rejuvenated England side has decided to skip this series sighting other commitments. Now Sri Lanka is seeking the possibilities of having a series only against Pakistan. At the same time, New Zealand who is also on the look out for an engagement to fill the Champions Trophy void have also shown interest in being a part of this. However, according to an analyst, the realization of a series will depend upon the bottom-line. Now the Lankan administrators will have to see how they could make this series a viable one after meeting the huge expenses that accrues in such an issue. The analyst also pointed out that both New Zealand and Pakistan are not commercially viable merchandises and Sri Lanka may end up in the red by hosting such a series. Then he also added that Sri Lanka, who has had a turbulent time especially in the ODI version of the game, urgently needs a few series to tie up the loose ends in their batting line up. Sri Lanka’s next scheduled tour is against Zimbabwe. Though according to the ICC future tours programme Zimbabwe is scheduled to tour Sri Lanka on a two Test three ODI tour in November, Sri Lanka will make a five ODI tour of the South African nation during that period. This change is also owing to the bottom line. (Zimbabwe voluntarily stepped down from the Test status a while ago). India and Australia are the two countries who are most unaffected by the Champions Trophy postponement. In September Australia will be seen in action in India when the two giants meet on a 4 Test engagement. India will follow it up with two series against England and Pakistan during latter part of the year. Australia will follow the Indian series with engagements against New Zealand and South Africa before the year ends. ***************************************** Lokuge urges Ranatunga to settle dispute amicably Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge has urged Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Interim Committee Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga to settle the dispute between him and senior players over the England tour which overlaps with the dates of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Minister Lokuge said he had asked the Interim Committee Chairman to talk to all the players individually and settle the issue after some players had complained to him that they had not been consulted on the matter so far. “Some of the players who are on contract with the IPL have sent a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa asking him to intervene. He has forwarded the letter to me and asked me to sort out the matter,” he said. The Minister said that acting on President’s request, he asked Mr. Ranatunga on Friday to settle the issue in such a manner so that both the English tour and the IPL commitments could be honoured. Mr. Lokuge said if any revision in the payments needed to be made, that too could be accommodated.On Friday, Mr. Ranatunga insisted that the tour of England must go ahead as planned. Several players including the captain Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara play for the IPL and have indicated that they prefer to play in India than go to England.