Sri Lankan cricket board to unveil new-look championship

Next week, the Sri Lankan cricket board will unveil a new-look first-class tournament, which they hope will revitalise domestic cricket in Sri Lanka.

The board, though, has stopped short of introducing the two-division structure championed by some, in favour of a hybrid format that balances the twin objectives of increasing competitiveness and protecting the health of outstation clubs.

According to Sidath Wettimuny, Interim Committee member with overall responsibility for cricketing matters, the clubs, who had been considered a potential barrier to change, have "enthusiastically accepted" the blueprint.

The future of the Premier League has long been the source of intense debate. Last year 18 teams and 404 players participated in the tournament. Matches were too frequently one-sided, low-key affairs that failed to adequately prepare players for the harsher, high-pressure environs of international cricket.

This year the number of teams has been trimmed to 16 and the competition has been spilt into three separate stages: a first round in which teams seek qualification for a Super League, a ten-team Super League from which the top four teams proceed to a semi-final and then final.

The top four sides in last years tournament - NCC, BRC, Colts, SSC - form a "Super Group" that automatically qualify for the Super League. The remaining twelve teams are spilt into two groups of six. Each team play the others in its group and the top three in each qualify for the Super League.

Whilst the qualification process is in full swing the four "Super Group" teams play each other, the result and points from which they then carry through to the Super League. Qualifiers will also carry through the points gained against their fellow group members, who they will not play again in the Super League itself.

The new format means that the best teams (the Super Group) will no longer play hopelessly one-sided matches against the weakest teams. Excluding the semi-finals and final the "Super Group" sides will play nine matches and the other Super League qualifiers will play 11 compared to the 12-15 played last year.

It is hoped that the introduction of a knockout finale will further increase the competitiveness of Super League by keeping all the teams in the hunt right up to the end.

Crucially, the matches are being also being scheduled to ensure the participation of the Sri Lankan national players. The first stage will start at the end October and finish before the West Indies and Zimbabwe tour, during which time the clubs will play the Premier League Limited Overs Tournament. When the Asian Test Championship is completed (early February) the Super League will commence.

Wettimuny, speaking to CricInfo, said: "We wanted to play less matches and make those more meaningful. The better teams will now play the better sides and there will be a maximum of 11 matches.

"With the introduction of the semi-final and final clubs will be in the race right up until the end which will ensure that at the end of the day the chances are that you will have the rightful winner."

The format will be criticised in some quarters for being overly complicated. The simpler option would appear to have been two divisions with eight sides, which would reduce the amount of cricket even more. This, though, would be politically unacceptable to the clubs.

Wettimuny argued: "We can't afford to reduce the number of sides at this stage. We would kill cricket in the outstations unless we combined some of the clubs. You must remember that out top players are now coming from these areas."

Indeed, the health of outstation cricket is considered so vital that the cricket board has been trying to persuade the clubs to accept a radical player re-distribution plan.

The board has proposed that it centrally contract high profiles players, who will then play for some of the lesser-known clubs in the outstation areas. It is hoped that this would stimulate greater interest in the clubs, arrest the present migration of talent into Colombo and, ultimately, increase the competitiveness of the outstation clubs and the tournament itself.

Although apparently acceptable to the players themselves, who would anyway be selectively contracted to clubs close to their family roots, the clubs have voiced concerns and the plan is likely to be postponed until next year.

Wettimuny remained realistic: "We have now, at least, have come up with a good tournament. They are other things to be done, but we have to take it one step at a time."

According to Wettimuny the new tournament is also commercially more attractive. The BCCSL is already speaking to potential sponsors and to interested television broadcasters about a daily highlights programme.

In truth, further change is needed to the Premier League, such as an improvement in the pitches, practice facilities, greater financial support for the non-international players. There is no doubt, however, that the proposed changes represent an important step forward.