Whatever the cricketing world may think, the cash-rich BCCI money power will make sure it has its way over many things in todays time. The DRS system that has been accepted by all cricketing nations, chiefly after its use in the World Cup, does not hold any petition for BCCI.
The Board has not just been unwilling to accept it; it has now gone a step further on the matter of its ban on Indian players contribute in the Sri Lankan Premier League. Despite being formally sanctioned by all international Boards, the omnipotent BCCI classifies it as a private tournament.
As a matter of fact, it is the winning team from this same private tournament that will take part in this year's Champions League T20, which will represent Sri Lanka. The event is co-owned by the Boards of India, Australia and South Africa.On Thursday, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan officially informed SLC chairman DS de Silva and Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga that India would not allow their players to play in their League.
The BCCI remains stubborn on its stance, even though the SLC has offered bank guarantees to safeguard the Indian player's contracts. The BCCI claims that banning its players was on the grounds that Singapore-based Somerset Entertainment Ventures, which owns the commercial rights for the event for five years, manages the contracts for international players. Therefore, this could lead to complications on which disputes may arise over payments to the players.
In order to please the BCCI, SLC were willing to defend the Indian players financial wellbeing, but clearly it was almost certainly not enough to satisfy the BCCI, it was further reported.It is their decision and we cannot force them to change their position,Sri Lanka sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told newspaper.
We knew that India was not going to change the stand. That was the reason why we did not go to India. We made an attempt to convince them but the BCCI told us that it cannot reverse its stand. They seem to have some apprehensions over the contest,the sports minister added.
The absence of Indian players will not only affect the game of cricket but it will have a huge impact commercially as well. The broadcaster is yet to be finalized but the SLPL will now go ahead with the obtainable foreign players as the show must go on. Twelve Indian players were to take part in the 16-day contest, which will run from 19 July to 4 August.