Lanka Premier League postponed for an indefinite time: Reports

The second edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which was scheduled to begin on July 30 has been postponed due to unavailability of foreign recruits, according to an Inside Sports report. 

Though, an official statement from the board is still awaited.

“It is unfortunate that the tournament will have to be postponed. Be it Bangladesh, the West Indies, Pakistan or England players – none of them are available at this stage. Right now the new dates for the league are undecided, SLC will check the feasibility in next few weeks”, a SLC official was quoted as saying by the website. 

The reports further suggested that the postponement of the tournament is not just due to the unavailability of the foreign players but also because of the issues with owners of the franchises. 

Earlier, as per a Cricbuzz report, Jaffna Stallions became the third franchise to face a termination from the Lanka Premier League after Colombo Kings & Dambulla Vikings. 

"With the 2nd edition of the LPL set to commence shortly, the exclusive rights holder of the event, the Innovative Production Group FZE (IPG) has decided to terminate the ownership of the franchises of Colombo Kings and Dambulla Viiking for the reason of non-compliance," the Lanka board said in a statement earlier. 

The second edition of the LP was earlier slated to take place in Hambantota from July 30 to August 22. 

Discover more
Top Stories
news

Another franchise faces termination from LPL

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) has terminated another franchise from the Lanka Premier League. The name of the team hasn’t been officially revealed but as per a Cricbuzz report, it would be the Jaffna franchise. Jaffna is owned by a group of investors who are from Indian and Sri Lankan origins. Colombo Kings and Dambulla Viiking were the other two teams to have faced the axe before Jaffna. The three franchises have been terminated because of non-compliance. The sources have added that there are eight new parties who have shown interest in being a part of the league. The second edition of the LPL is scheduled to be played in Hambantota from July 30 to August 22. "With the 2nd edition of the LPL set to commence shortly, the exclusive rights holder of the event, the Innovative Production Group FZE (IPG) has decided to terminate the ownership of the franchises of Colombo Kings and Dambulla Viiking for the reason of non-compliance," the Lanka board said in a statement earlier. "Accordingly, the Innovative Production Group FZE (IPG) has received multiple requests from many interested parties and in compliance with the contractual obligation of the IPG and Sri Lanka Cricket, for the said League, as well as in keeping with the requirement of the International Cricket Council (ICC), have submitted all KYC documents for approval to finalise the new set of owners for the said teams," the SLC statement added. Jaffna was earlier led by Thisara Perera.

news

Shimron Hetmyer, Sheldon Cottrell, Roston Chase included in WI ODI squad for Aus series

West Indies have called up Shimron Hetmyer, Sheldon Cottrell and Roston Chase for the ODI series against Australia scheduled to begin on July 20, 2021 in Barbados. The three players had earlier missed out on selection for the fixtures against Sri Lanka in March as they had failed to meet the fitness standards. Selector Roger Harper said that the inclusion of the three players has added depth and experience to the side. "This squad is coming off a comprehensive series win against Sri Lanka which should boost their confidence going into what is expected to be a tougher contest against Australia," Roger Harper, Lead Selector said. "The return of Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase and Sheldon Cottrell adds greater depth and experience to the squad,” he added. "Playing in familiar home conditions, hopefully will bring out the best in each player thereby enabling the team to perform at a consistently high standard. This CG Insurance ODI series against Australia is part of the ICC Cricket World Cup qualification process where every game and every point counts, so it is very important." The three-match ODI series is a part of the ICC World Cup Super League and will be played after the five-match T20Is. All the ODIs will be held in Barbados. Squad: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice Captain), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Anderson Philip, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd