SLPL future to be decided on Friday

Sri Lanka Cricket's new interim committee will meet with Somerset Entertainment Ventures on Friday to discuss the future of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL). The previous committee, which created the tournament, was dissolved last week by Sri Lanka's sports ministry and a new panel was appointed in its place. ESPNcricinfo understands that the new committee is still getting up to speed on the tournament and will decide how to go ahead with it once they have met Somerset.

"We have not yet met the SLPL organisers," Sidath Wettimuny, one of the members of the new committee, told ESPNcricinfo. "The meeting is scheduled on Friday." Wettimuny also denied rumours that the tournament had been postponed or that it would go ahead with only Sri Lankan players.

The change in administration so close to the launch of the tournament is the latest setback for the SLPL, which has already been hit by the BCCI's refusal to allow Indian players to take part. The BCCI had withheld its permission on the grounds that Somerset, which owns the commercial rights, would be handling the contracts for international players and that could lead to complications should disputes arise over payments. In order to assuage the Indian board, SLC was willing to back the Indian players' contracts so that their financial interests were protected, but that was not enough to satisfy the BCCI. The Indian board has also claimed that former IPL chairman Lalit Modi had a hand in the event, but SLC and Somerset have repeatedly denied the allegation, as has Modi.

The BCCI's decision means the tournament does not have a broadcaster for the lucrative Indian market, a situation that makes it much more difficult for the SLPL to find a secure financial footing, something that the new committee will have to consider.

One potential incentive for holding the tournament as scheduled is the Champions League T20 in September. The winner of the SLPL receives a spot in that tournament and since Sri Lanka host Australia in August and September, July is the only available window before the CLT20. However, given that the SLPL's first game is set for July 19th, SLC would have only 11 days after Friday's meeting to organise the event, including putting in place security for the players and the anti-corruption measures required by the ICC.