LPL Player Draft postponed to 19 October

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka Cricket said that they have postponed the Lanka Premier League (LPL) Player Draft, scheduled to be held today, to 19 October at the request of the event sponsor IPG (Innovation Production Group).

“The player draft was scheduled to be held today, but the event sponsor requested a postponement due to the current situation in the country and we have agreed to it,” said Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva.

“They wrote to us today (Thursday) and we gave our consent to go ahead with it because there is enough time,” he said.

“The commencing date of the tournament would be the same 21 November, which still allows the players to undergo the 14 days of quarantine.”

Speaking further De Silva stated: “We have shared the availability of the players with the event holder and are waiting for the auction to take place. No sooner the auction is over we will share it with the media the players who are going to take part.”

Over 200 players from overseas representing virtually all the Test-playing nations have given their consent to undergo the 14-day quarantine period and made themselves eligible for the Player Draft.

Each team can have a maximum of six overseas players in the squad but only four can play at any given time. A squad will comprise 16 players plus 4. All Sri Lankan players – national contracted and central contracted – will figure prominently. The 23-match LPL will be played on three international venues at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

Five teams named after the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna will participate in the League.