Lankan officials to meet BCCI to solve SLPL issue

Colombo: Sports Minister Mahindanda Aluthgamage has asked Sri Lankan Cricket officials to meet BCCI top brass to convince them in Indian players’ participation in the Sri Lankan Premier League next month.

Aluthgamage has asked the SLC chairman DS de Silva and secretary Nishantha Ranatunga to travel to India and sort out the issue at the earliest with the BCCI officials.

Following this, a meeting has been arranged tomorrow to discuss the BCCI’s objections to the Sri Lankan tournament, according to ESPNcricinfo.

“I have instructed the chairman and the secretary to rush to India and convince the Indian board officials to allow their players to play in our tournament,” Aluthgamage was quoted as saying by ‘Daily Mirror’.

“The chairman will be directly arriving from London, where he has been with the Sri Lanka team, and Ranatunga will join him from Sri Lanka,” he added.

Aluthgamage is confident that a solution could be worked out by the two Boards.

“We have good rapport with Indian Board and I am sure the issue will be sorted out amicably. The first edition of this tournament will go ahead as scheduled (July 19 to August 4, 2011),” said the minister.

He also clarified that former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi has nothing to do with the SLPL.

“I can say with 100 per cent assertion there is no role of Lalit Modi in SLPL. I am unaware about his trip to this country, if he had made one two months ago,” he explained.