Mahindra SLPL gives young cricketers a much-needed platform

Saturday, 25 August 2012 01:32 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The inaugural Mahindra Sri Lanka Premier League is giving Sri Lanka’s young blood a chance to showcase their talents on the big stage and rub shoulders with their cricketing icons, and a number of top international players. The cricketers who have been given this opportunity have proved themselves, and the recent World T-20 squad selection is a testament to this.

The inclusion of Akila Dananjaya, who performed exceptionally well as a bowler for Wayamba United, Dilshan Munaweera, who played himself into contention as an opener for Uva Next, and Shaminda Eranga, a fringe player who made his case yet again while bowling for the Nagenahira Nagas are all examples of how the Mahindra SLPL has given the Sri Lankan selectors a much needed boost when it comes to judging match performances against top teams.

Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga added, “This tournament has really helped the Sri Lankan selectors, as they are now able to see how these young players perform under pressure. Due to seven provinces being represented in this tournament, discovering talent from across the country has now become a reality. This is a massive boon for us in the long run, and we believe that the Mahindra SLPL will continue to act as a much-needed breeding ground for Sri Lankan Cricket.”

Somerset Entertainment Ventures Chairman Sandiip Bhammer said, “This is really what we envisioned when we started up this tournament. We believe that there is an immense amount of talent in the country that is yet to be unearthed, and we wanted to provide the platform where these players could be showcased to the entire world.

For the first time in Sri Lankan cricketing history, domestic cricket is being watched nationally and globally, and this can only result in Sri Lanka’s bench strength improving with the emergence of so many young cricketers.”