The
IPL 2013 matches in Chennai will not feature any Sri Lankan cricketers or match
officials, the league’s governing council said after a meeting on Tuesday. It
said the decision was taken keeping in mind security concerns in Chennai.
“The security of all involved in the IPL, whether players, spectators or those
working in the stadiums, is of paramount importance
to the BCCI,” the statement
said. “The governing council decided that Sri Lankan players will not
participate in the IPL 2013 league matches in Chennai and will advise the nine
franchises accordingly.”The decision followed growing political tensions, stemming from the treatment of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka and capped by a letter written on Tuesday by the Tamil Nadu state government to the prime minister asking for a ban on Sri Lankan involvement in the Chennai leg of the IPL.
The letter, written by the chief minister J Jayalalitha, was unequivocal in its
stand. “In such a hostile and tense environment, we apprehend that the
participation of Sri Lankan players in the IPL tournament, with many games to
be played in Chennai, will aggravate an already surcharged atmosphere and
further offend the sentiments of the people.”
Earlier this month the DMK, the main opposition party in Tamil Nadu and a key
ally of the federal government, pulled out of the ruling coalition at the
centre asking for sterner measures to redress alleged atrocities towards Tamils
in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said it was monitoring the developments in India closely and was waiting for a travel advisory from the Sri Lankan government. “If there is a secondary threat to a player in a particular area then we will wait for the government’s advice,” Nishantha Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, told ESPNcricinfo. “We have written to Ministry of Foreign Affairs through our Minister of Sport to get feedback on our players’ safety.”
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said it was monitoring the developments in India closely and was waiting for a travel advisory from the Sri Lankan government. “If there is a secondary threat to a player in a particular area then we will wait for the government’s advice,” Nishantha Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, told ESPNcricinfo. “We have written to Ministry of Foreign Affairs through our Minister of Sport to get feedback on our players’ safety.”
The “ban” will affect Chennai Super Kings, who play all their eight home
matches in Chennai; however, their Sri Lankan contingent consists of only two
fringe players, Nuwan Kulasekara and Akila Dananjaya. Franchises that will be
significantly hit, at least for the lone game they play in Chennai in the
league phase, include Mumbai Indians (Lasith Malinga), Delhi Daredevils (Mahela
Jayawardene), Sunrisers Hyderabad (Kumar Sangakkara) and Pune Warriors (Angelo
Mathews). Chennai also hosts some of the knockout matches, where these players
would be crucial if their teams make it that far.
“We were first told by the IPL authorities about the problem in Tamil Nadu
around a fortnight ago,” a franchise official said. “And after due
consultations, almost all the franchises are happy losing one or two of their
players for one game rather than the whole tournament.”
It is not yet clear whether Super Kings will decide to withdraw their Sri Lankan players for the season but if so, the players will be compensated with their contract fees for the entire season.
It is not yet clear whether Super Kings will decide to withdraw their Sri Lankan players for the season but if so, the players will be compensated with their contract fees for the entire season.
------------ www.thedailystar.ne
No comments:
Post a Comment