LPL 2nd edition: SLC sticks to 5 teams, venue/s to be finalised

Saturday, 12 June 2021 00:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Jaffna Stallions winners of inaugural LPL edition in 2020

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Having confirmed that the second edition of the Lanka Premier League will be held from 30 July to 22 August, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are in the process of finalising all arrangements with the event holder Dubai-based IPG (Innovation Production Group).

Although at the end of the first edition of LPL the intention was to increase the number of participating teams from five to six by including a side from Trincomalee, SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said that they would stick with only five for the second edition also.

Whether the upcoming edition would be played at more than one venue is also under discussion. Last year all the 23 matches were played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium in Sooriyawewa, Hambantota.

“We are in the process of making all the arrangements and having discussions with the event holder and we are trying to finalise it as quickly as possible,” said De Silva.

“With regard to the venue we are having some discussions internally, we need to also discuss it with our event holder before we decide on it. Most probably we would stick to Hambantota, which is one option. We have to take a decision on whether we are going to play the matches at two locations or one. If it is two, it will be at Kandy and Hambantota. If it is one, we will have to take a call on the venue,” he said.

Earlier there were some doubts cast on whether the second edition LPL would be postponed to November-December due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country.

“It was anyway initially planned to be held in July-August but we were wondering whether we will have sufficient time to get it organised. Our event holder they said that they are ready to go, therefore we took a decision to go ahead with the August window,” said De Silva.

“The window that is available to us is July-August. That is the date we have reserved when we drew up our FTP (Future Tours Program). It is something which we have reserved for the next five years. When we discuss and schedule matches in the FTP we kind of keep that window locked down. We don’t schedule any games with any other country but keep it free for us to play the LPL,” continued De Silva.

“We cannot be shifting it around whether all the overseas players are going to be available or not, we have to go ahead with it. There are so many players playing T20 cricket around the world so it is a matter of finding about 25 to 30 players. It is not difficult for us to get 25-30 good players to take part in this tournament. All the local cricketers will be available,” he said.

“The player draft – we will outsource that operation for an organisation to handle it. But getting the confirmation of the players, SLC will do it. Talking to the international players will be done by SLC. We will then tell the event holder the players who are available for the player draft.”

Last year 33 overseas players figured in the five teams of the inaugural LPL that was won by Jaffna Stallions who defeated Galle Gladiators in the final.