Cricket

Sri Lanka plan deal with BCCI

The Sri Lanka Cricketers’ Association (SLCA) and sports minister Gamini Lokuge have finalised a proposal that could bring in $70 million for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over the next 10 years but will seriously undermine Sri Lanka’s Test tour of England. The proposal, which will be presented to the BCCI, will require the full participation of SLC within the IPL and its sister tournament, the Champions League, for the next decade.

The proposed deal follows the recent decision by Lokuge that the Sri Lankan players contracted to the IPL will be released from the tour of England following the cancellation of Zimbabwe’s tour to England.

SLC officials admitted it would be impossible to hold the the two-Test series in England. “The series is definitely off since it has not yet been ratified by the ECB and still remains subject to its approval. So, there is absolutely no chance they are now going to sanction the series against a virtual Sri Lanka A side,” a board official said.

The SLCA had discussed the England tour issue directly with IPL chairman Lalit Modi in Mumbai two weeks ago, during which Modi unveiled his plans for Sri Lanka, conditional upon SLC pledging full support for the IPL and the Champions League, the only exception being Sri Lanka’s tour to England in 2011.

Tags: bcci, Champions League T20, IPL, Lalit Modi, SLCA, sri lanka cricket board