26.10.2008
LONDON — Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi
said his organisation could not be held responsible if
Sri Lanka cancelled their tour of England in April and
May next year.
Sri
Lanka, themselves a substitute side for Zimbabwe, could
pull out of the scheduled two Tests and three one-day
internationals, which precede the Ashes, because stars
such as Kumar Sangakkara and Muttiah Muralitharan are
contracted to the IPL.
Meanwhile,
the Sri Lankan board, who are in no position to offer
their players anything like the money they might earn
in the Twenty20 jamboree, are concluding a 40-million
dollars deal with the IPL.
That
would lead to the full participation of Sri Lankan players
in the IPL and the Twenty20 Champions League for the next
decade.
Modi,
speaking at the Global Sport Summit in London, said: "The
ICC’s (International Cricket Council’s) tours
programme is fixed seven years in advance. Everybody commits
to that and players commit to their countries on that
basis.
"There
are gaps in the scheduling. Based on those gaps players
and countries make other programmes to fill them. The
Indian Premier League took into account the ICC’s
fixed programme and signed players on three-year contracts.
"The
Sri Lanka board gave their players a no-objection certificate
for three years to play in the Indian Premier League.
"Unfortunately
the Zimbabwe tour to England was cancelled. The ECB (England
and Wales Cricket Board) had an obligation to Sky television
to bring another team in.
"It
is always portrayed that the Indian Premier League is
stopping the Test matches being played. There was never
a scheduled Test in the first place.
"The
Sri Lankan tour would breach the contract with the Indian
Premier League."
England
is unusual among major cricket nations in that good crowds
regularly attend Test matches. Many believe the growth
of Twenty20 tournament such as the IPL poses a threat
to what traditionalists sill regard as the ultimate form
of the game.
But
Modi said there was room in the calendar for both brands
of cricket. "Test cricket is here to stay. It has
its own hard core following and we will continue to see
that go forward," said Modi.
The
England and Wales Cricket Board had said centrally contracted
players could not play IPL cricket in 2009. But Modi said
it might be possible for the likes of England captain
Kevin Pietersen to get his hands on an IPL contract.
"We
would love to have the English players play for the IPL.
We have the top 100 players in the world in the IPL and
they are the only players missing.
"The
ECB has approached the BCCI and the IPL with the objective
of saying they are ready to provide non-objection certificates
to the English players to play in the IPL.
"But
there is a big catch to it.
"The
ECB are set to launch the English Premier League and the
quid pro quo is that if the ECB was to release their players,
then the IPL must release a minimum of 20 players for
the English Premier League.
"It
has to go to a governing council and the BCCI board for
approval. In the absence of that approval we will continue
the way we are.
"I
hope the English players can participate but I cannot
guarantee that."
Courtesy - The Island