Date:11/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/11/stories/2008101156132000.htm

Sport - Cricket

IPL to give $40 million to SLC

Colombo: The Indian Premier League (IPL) will pay $40 million to the Sri Lanka Cricket as guarantee money the SLC will forfeit due to cancellation of the two-Test series in England next year.

This was decided at a recent meeting in India between Chairman and Commissioner of IPL Lalit Modi and Sri Lanka Players’ Association Secretary Graeme Labrooy.

“An annual sum of $4 million for the next 10 years from IPL would be given as guarantee money the SLC will forfeit due to cancellation of the two-Test series in England next year,” a top SLC source said.

Ranatunga’s insistence

SLC Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga had insisted on SLC getting the guaranteed funds for development of domestic cricket in Sri Lanka before reaching a compromise, sources said.

Ranatunga was concerned that while the Sri Lankan players contracted to play for IPL were well rewarded, the SLC which was responsible for developing the game in the island nation was not benefiting out of it.

“Ranatunga has no problems in players getting paid well from the Indian tournament, but he feels the SLC should also have enough funds for developing the game in the country,” the source added.

Players to be released

The meeting between Modi and Labrooy had also decided to release the Sri Lankan players for next year’s IPL which clashes dates with England tour.

“It has been decided to release the players for next year’s IPL and send a full strength Sri Lankan cricket team to England for the One-Dayers beginning on May 27, 2009,” the source said.

Twelve Lankan players — Chamara Kapugedara, Mahela Jayawardene, Farveez Maharoof, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vass, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Silva, T.M. Dilshan and Sanath Jayasuriya — are contracted with IPL franchises.

India also agreed to resume a three-nation tournament involving India, South Africa and Sri Lanka in 2009 (venue not decided) and guaranteed the tri-nation series involving the same teams to be held in Sri Lanka in 2010.

Further during Pakistan’s tour of India early next year, the BCCI agreed to include Sri Lanka for a tri-nation ODI tournament, the source said. — PTI