NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – The inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League will go ahead next month without the Indian cricketers after talks failed with the Indian board (BCCI), Sri Lankan sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Reuters yesterday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) denied permission to its players because it suspects the involvement of Lalit Modi, the former Indian Premier League commissioner who was sacked on financial irregularity charges, in the IPL-style tournament, Aluthgamage said.
“Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials requested BCCI to change their stand but they refused,” Aluthgamage said by phone.
“They think Lalit Modi is involved in this tournament. I have checked company profile and everything… and he’s not involved.”
An SLC delegation was expected to travel to India this week to try and convince BCCI officials to allow Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin and nine other Indian players to participate in the tournament.
“There is no use going to India to meet them. They said they don’t want to change the decision. We are doing the tournament and there is no doubt about that,” the minister said.
BCCI president Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan were not available for comment.
On Sunday, Manohar said the players had been denied permission because the league was being organised by a “private party”.
“The Board’s policy is not to allow players to take part in private party-organised tournaments,” Manohar told the Press Trust of India news agency.
Kieron Pollard, Shahid Afridi and Daniel Vettori are among the foreign recruits of the July 19-Aug 4 Twenty20 tournament.
