Chairman of Selectors Sanath Jayasuriya promised to field a full strength side during the ODI and T-20 series in England next year. With English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) advancing the ODIs before the Test Matches for Sri Lanka’s tour of that country next year, there are fears that several players will be unavailable for the series as they have lucrative IPL contracts.
The IPL schedule is not out yet, but in recent years, India’s domestic T-20 tournament has dragged on till end of May. By end of May next year, the T-20 International and four of the five ODIs between Sri Lanka and England would have been over. Sri Lanka arrive in England next year on the 10th of May and play the T-20 International on the 20th of May. Prior to that they have three warm-up games in Kent, Essex and Surrey.
“This tour obviously has been on the Future Tour Programme (FTP). No one can now say that this was not on the FTP. Every nation has to honour the FTP and we will do that too,” Jayasuriya toldThe Island yesterday responding to one of our queries.
“If you take the New Zealand players, they ended their IPL commitment early to represent their country and the Australians who were involved in the Ashes packed their bags early as well from the IPL. It’s the responsibility of the national players to honour international commitments,” Jayasuriya added.
When asked if any player issues conditions on his availability to play the series in England, Jayasuriya said the board will have to take a decision on that but promised firmness this time around unlike in the past where the board has given into players’ wishes under political pressure.
The last time the Sri Lankans toured England, senior players made a mockery of preparations ahead of the series by arriving in England in several batches due to their IPL commitments. Some players even missed a warm-up game and were clearly unprepared when the first Test came up in Cardiff, where they were blown away for 82 runs just over a session to lose the Test by an innings.
One of the players who arrived late to due to IPL – Mahela Jayawardene – failed to make a half-century in the entire Test series and struggled against the moving ball. During the three Tests all his six dismissals were caught behind– twice caught by wicketkeeper, twice caught at first slip, once caught at third slip and once caught at fourth slip.
In 2009, the players took the roles of activists as they sought political intervention to cancel a tour of England following an ECB’s invitation to fill a gap created by Zimbabwe. Not only was the tour scrapped, Board Chairman at that time, Arjuna Ranatunga was unceremoniously sacked as well. West Indies eventually accepted to tour England although their players too had IPL contracts. (by Rex Clementine)
Source: The Islands (Sri Lanka)
