ECB and Sri Lanka agree to postpone tour
The ECB and Sri Lanka Cricket have reached an agreement to postpone Sri Lanka's tour of England in 2009, Cricinfo can reveal.
The fate of this tour had been in the balance for weeks after Sri Lanka Cricket gave its players the go-ahead to take part in the IPL's second season, which clashes with the tour. A number of Sri Lanka's leading players are contracted with the league, and the SLC are negotiating a US$70 million bailout deal with the BCCI - one conditional upon SLC pledging full support for the IPL and the Champions League.
The ICC's top officials - chief executive Haroon Lorgat and president Morgan - have been keen to promote the primacy of Test cricket, but the tour schedule is a matter between the England board and the SLC. So long as Sri Lanka's tour is still part of their Future Tours Programme (FTP), the actual date is of no consequence, and it is expected the tour in 2009 will not take place.
Rather than hosting a second-string Sri Lankan team - which would potentially damage the ECB's ticket sales - it now seems England will instead host West Indies as an alternative. They too have players in the IPL, but it is expected they will be part of the touring party.
The West Indies players do have commitments with their sponsors, Digicel, which could in the future cause problems should they want to be released for the IPL in preference to major international events.
source
The ECB and Sri Lanka Cricket have reached an agreement to postpone Sri Lanka's tour of England in 2009, Cricinfo can reveal.
The fate of this tour had been in the balance for weeks after Sri Lanka Cricket gave its players the go-ahead to take part in the IPL's second season, which clashes with the tour. A number of Sri Lanka's leading players are contracted with the league, and the SLC are negotiating a US$70 million bailout deal with the BCCI - one conditional upon SLC pledging full support for the IPL and the Champions League.
The ICC's top officials - chief executive Haroon Lorgat and president Morgan - have been keen to promote the primacy of Test cricket, but the tour schedule is a matter between the England board and the SLC. So long as Sri Lanka's tour is still part of their Future Tours Programme (FTP), the actual date is of no consequence, and it is expected the tour in 2009 will not take place.
Rather than hosting a second-string Sri Lankan team - which would potentially damage the ECB's ticket sales - it now seems England will instead host West Indies as an alternative. They too have players in the IPL, but it is expected they will be part of the touring party.
The West Indies players do have commitments with their sponsors, Digicel, which could in the future cause problems should they want to be released for the IPL in preference to major international events.
source
