By Channaka de Silva
Indian cricket officials infuriated by haughty statements allegedly made by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee chairman Arjuna Ranatunga have declared that they would sever all cricketing ties with Sri Lanka as long as Ranatunga is in office.
Lalit Modi, the chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and BCCI Secretary N. Sirinivasan had declared the BCCI stance in no uncertain terms when they and other IPL officials met a high-powered Sri Lankan delegation in Bangkok last week to discuss a deal between the IPL and SLC.
The chief of the Sri Lankan delegation and the acting SLC Interim Committee chairman S. Liyanagama who is also the secretary to the Sports Ministry would convey the situation to Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge shortly, as soon as the minister returns to the country from an official overseas visit to Bali.
Ministry sources added that Liyanagama would strongly recommend the removal of Ranatunga from the SLC chair in his report to the minister on the Bangkok discussions.
Sources privy to the Bangkok discussions told the Daily Mirror that the BCCI reps said that they would not go ahead with a proposed US $ 40 million deal over the next ten years, mainly as Ranatunga had made several public statements to the effect that the IPL offered the deal only as they could not avoid it due to Ranatunga’s stand on the issue.
IPL officials had told the Sri Lankan delegation that they offered the deal only to help out the cash-strapped SLC as they felt it is only fair to help a friend in need and not for Ranatunga to seek personal glory by taking credit for it.
They said they were capable of attracting the Sri Lankan players they want, and knew how to get those players for the IPL ahead of all other commitments irrespective of whether SLC liked it or not.
They had promised the Sri Lankan delegation that they will go ahead with the proposed deal or an even better one once Ranatunga is out of office, but had declared they would not strike any deal with SLC till then.They had indicated that there was a likelihood of two future Sri Lanka tours by the Indian team in the calendar scheduled for 2009 and 2010 being cancelled unless the situation at the SLC changes.
Ranatunga who is out of the country was not available for comment.
The proposed US $ 40 million IPL deal was arranged between Modi and Sri Lanka Cricketers Union representative Graeme Labrooy after the Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge, ordered the cancellation of a proposed England tour in 2009 that clashed with the dates of the IPL tournament and wanted all national players released for the IPL. It was a goodwill gesture that was aimed at mending the already sour relationship with Indian Cricket Board – the economic powerhouse of world cricket.
Minister handpicked a four-member Sri Lanka delegation comprising of Liyanagama, SLC Chief Executive Duleep Mendis, SLC interim committee member and former Players’ Union chief Sidath Wettimuny and Labrooy.
Sources said that there was no issue about the location of the meeting which was held in Bangkok, as all IPL officials and member franchises were having their regular meeting there.
“Some people think Bangkok was chosen for talks due to some shady reason. It is absurd because if there was anything like that, what would have been the difference between Bangkok and an Indian city?” asked the source.
Meanwhile international media reports claimed yesterday that Pakistan Cricket Board’s newly-appointed chairman Ijaz Butt has also lashed out at Sri Lanka at his first ever press conference in Lahore on Monday.
Butt criticised Sri Lanka for not supporting Pakistan’s stand to get their due chance to host the Champions Trophy during the ICC Board Meeting in Dubai in which Ranatunga represented Sri Lanka.
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“I was surprised over the silence of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the meeting,” Butt said.
Indian cricket officials infuriated by haughty statements allegedly made by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee chairman Arjuna Ranatunga have declared that they would sever all cricketing ties with Sri Lanka as long as Ranatunga is in office.
Lalit Modi, the chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and BCCI Secretary N. Sirinivasan had declared the BCCI stance in no uncertain terms when they and other IPL officials met a high-powered Sri Lankan delegation in Bangkok last week to discuss a deal between the IPL and SLC.
The chief of the Sri Lankan delegation and the acting SLC Interim Committee chairman S. Liyanagama who is also the secretary to the Sports Ministry would convey the situation to Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge shortly, as soon as the minister returns to the country from an official overseas visit to Bali.
Ministry sources added that Liyanagama would strongly recommend the removal of Ranatunga from the SLC chair in his report to the minister on the Bangkok discussions.
Sources privy to the Bangkok discussions told the Daily Mirror that the BCCI reps said that they would not go ahead with a proposed US $ 40 million deal over the next ten years, mainly as Ranatunga had made several public statements to the effect that the IPL offered the deal only as they could not avoid it due to Ranatunga’s stand on the issue.
IPL officials had told the Sri Lankan delegation that they offered the deal only to help out the cash-strapped SLC as they felt it is only fair to help a friend in need and not for Ranatunga to seek personal glory by taking credit for it.
They said they were capable of attracting the Sri Lankan players they want, and knew how to get those players for the IPL ahead of all other commitments irrespective of whether SLC liked it or not.
They had promised the Sri Lankan delegation that they will go ahead with the proposed deal or an even better one once Ranatunga is out of office, but had declared they would not strike any deal with SLC till then.They had indicated that there was a likelihood of two future Sri Lanka tours by the Indian team in the calendar scheduled for 2009 and 2010 being cancelled unless the situation at the SLC changes.
Ranatunga who is out of the country was not available for comment.
The proposed US $ 40 million IPL deal was arranged between Modi and Sri Lanka Cricketers Union representative Graeme Labrooy after the Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge, ordered the cancellation of a proposed England tour in 2009 that clashed with the dates of the IPL tournament and wanted all national players released for the IPL. It was a goodwill gesture that was aimed at mending the already sour relationship with Indian Cricket Board – the economic powerhouse of world cricket.
Minister handpicked a four-member Sri Lanka delegation comprising of Liyanagama, SLC Chief Executive Duleep Mendis, SLC interim committee member and former Players’ Union chief Sidath Wettimuny and Labrooy.
Sources said that there was no issue about the location of the meeting which was held in Bangkok, as all IPL officials and member franchises were having their regular meeting there.
“Some people think Bangkok was chosen for talks due to some shady reason. It is absurd because if there was anything like that, what would have been the difference between Bangkok and an Indian city?” asked the source.
Meanwhile international media reports claimed yesterday that Pakistan Cricket Board’s newly-appointed chairman Ijaz Butt has also lashed out at Sri Lanka at his first ever press conference in Lahore on Monday.
Butt criticised Sri Lanka for not supporting Pakistan’s stand to get their due chance to host the Champions Trophy during the ICC Board Meeting in Dubai in which Ranatunga represented Sri Lanka.
dm
“I was surprised over the silence of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the meeting,” Butt said.
