Sports
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided not to release its players for the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL). A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the BCCI’s office-bearers here on Saturday.
Updated : Sep 29, 2017, 03:59 AM IST
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided not to release its players for the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL). A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the BCCI’s office-bearers here on Saturday.
It was not clear if its recent stand-off with Cricket Sri Lanka over the release of Lankan players from the Indian Premier League (IPL) had anything to do with the decision, but the official reason that the board would put out is that the SLPL is a private tournament.
The board officials contend that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has sold the rights of the tournament to a private company and hence the SLPL has ceased to be an official tournament. Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment Ventures Pte Ltd (SEV) had bought the rights of the inter-provincial tournament, scheduled to be held from July 21 to August 4.
The obvious consequence of the decision would be that the Indian players will no longer be able to take part in the 16-day tournament, to be played among seven teams.
Earlier, it was thought that as India would be engaged in a Test series against England during the time of the SLPL, the country’s one-day and Twenty20 specialists would be free to take part in the 24-game tournament. Now, they will no longer be allowed to participate.
International players like Shahid Afridi and Daniel Vettori are expected to take part in the tournament. Shoaib Akhtar, too, was to take part in the tournament but he recently pulled out of it. None of the SLC officials was available immediately for a comment but a board official said the decision has been conveyed to the Lankan cricket authorities.
Meanwhile, in another significant decision, the BCCI has
decided not to recommend Amiesh Saheba for the international panel of umpires of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The 51-year-old umpire has been dropped from the list sent to the ICC.
The Ahmedabad-based umpire has officiated in three Tests, four Twenty20 Internationals and 51 ODIs. He has been in the international panel since December 2008.
Shavir Tarapore and Sudhir Asnani are the two Indian nominations for the international panel. The other umpire recommended is S Ravi. These decisions were taken at a meeting of the umpires committee. The committee is headed by vice-president Niranjan Shah.