Decision on Sri Lanka players today

The much-publicised meeting between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) did not take place. Nor is such a meeting scheduled in the next few days.

As of Monday night, there was a status quo over the vexed issue of Sri Lankan players’ participation of in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

However, the situation might change in the next 36-48 hours. A meeting of the interim committee (IC) of the SLC is likely to take place on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. The meeting will decide whether to recall the players on May 5 or allow them to honour their commitments.

As reported by DNA, the Sri Lankan board received a letter from the BCCI asking it to reconsider its decision to recall their players. The letter had also reminded the SLC of its commitment to spare the players till May 22.

A decision could perhaps have been taken by now but the protagonist of the whole issue, Sri Lanka sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, is out of his country. After his return on Tuesday, the IC of the SLC will deliberate on the BCCI letter. The outcome of the meeting, of course, is difficult to predict.

 “At this stage, I cannot comment on the decision. It will be a collective IC decision. We will deliberate on the BCCI letter,” Nishanta Ranatunga, secretary of the SLC told DNA on Monday night. Commenting further, Ranatunga said: “The BCCI letter was a reply to our mail about the players. The Indian board has asked us to reconsider our stand and we will discuss if it is possible.”