Sri Lankan cricketers are on a collision course with their board following the board's sudden request to their players to return for the national team's camp by cutting short their commitment to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kumar Sangakkara is the captain of Deccan Chargers while Mahela Jayawardene leads the Kochi Tuskers team. Thisara Perera too plays for the Kochi team while all-rounder Tillakaratne Dilshan is Royal Challengers Bangalore's top order batsman. For Mumbai Indians, Lasith Malinga is their main strike bowler.
The request from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has shocked not only the players and team owners but also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Sri Lanka is scheduled to tour England next month and play three Tests, five one-dayers and one one-day match against Scotland and Ireland in Edinburgh.
Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Mahinadananda Althugamage said that the team member has to prioritise the needs of the national side over the IPL. All Sri Lankan cricketers and selectors have come under pressure following the national team's failure to win the World Cup despite reaching the final.
Althugamage warned that "in future, national cricket players can participate in foreign tournaments only in a manner that will not affect practices of the Sri Lankan national team".
What puzzles the BCCI is that it is the Sri Lanka Cricket Board which forwarded the names of the players who were keen to play in the IPL. Surprisingly, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has now asked the players to be in Colombo by May 5.
Though it was known that the England tour is set to commence from May 11, the Sri Lankan players were expected to play till May 9. The IPL ends on May 28. Sri Lankan players will lose a lot of money if they have to return immediately but their board secretary Nishantha Ranatunga even went to the extent of saying that it is immaterial if the players are happy or not. |
Present for camp
"They have to be here. The team will be selected next week and all the players have to be present for the camp," he said.
The strong stance of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board may now lead to a collision with the players. Some of the players may want to continue playing in the IPL till the dates they had promised to the IPL team owners.
When reporters asked Ranatunga whether any action will be taken if the players prefer to miss the camp, he said: "I'm sure they will toe the line."
This incident will now intensify the call for a separate window for the IPL in the international calendar. If the demand is not met, then there is a likelihood of many senior cricketers retiring from their national side and preferring to play in the cash-rich IPL.
The request from the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has shocked not only the players and team owners but also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Sri Lanka is scheduled to tour England next month and play three Tests, five one-dayers and one one-day match against Scotland and Ireland in Edinburgh.
Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Mahinadananda Althugamage said that the team member has to prioritise the needs of the national side over the IPL. All Sri Lankan cricketers and selectors have come under pressure following the national team's failure to win the World Cup despite reaching the final.
Althugamage warned that "in future, national cricket players can participate in foreign tournaments only in a manner that will not affect practices of the Sri Lankan national team".
What puzzles the BCCI is that it is the Sri Lanka Cricket Board which forwarded the names of the players who were keen to play in the IPL. Surprisingly, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board has now asked the players to be in Colombo by May 5.
Though it was known that the England tour is set to commence from May 11, the Sri Lankan players were expected to play till May 9. The IPL ends on May 28. Sri Lankan players will lose a lot of money if they have to return immediately but their board secretary Nishantha Ranatunga even went to the extent of saying that it is immaterial if the players are happy or not. |
Present for camp
"They have to be here. The team will be selected next week and all the players have to be present for the camp," he said.
The strong stance of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board may now lead to a collision with the players. Some of the players may want to continue playing in the IPL till the dates they had promised to the IPL team owners.
When reporters asked Ranatunga whether any action will be taken if the players prefer to miss the camp, he said: "I'm sure they will toe the line."
This incident will now intensify the call for a separate window for the IPL in the international calendar. If the demand is not met, then there is a likelihood of many senior cricketers retiring from their national side and preferring to play in the cash-rich IPL.
