Minister of Sports Namal Rajapaksa is set to hold further discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on the Lanka Premier League (LPL) Tournament.
The Sports Minister tweeted that he had fruitful discussions with the Health Minister and Director General of Health Services on the importance of sports, youth-based activities, and different approaches on how to move forward with the LPL.
The latest discussion with the SLC will focus on hosting the LPL while adhering to the COVID guidelines, Minister Rajapaksa said.
Meanwhile, Dubai-based IPG, the promoters of the LPL have reiterated that they are completely prepared to host the event with all necessary Covid-19 protocols in place given the Sri Lankan authorities give their approval.
IPG also stated that all required procedures related to the players, team owners and broadcast partners are finalized and awaits certain procedural clearings before it can be made public.
“Some announcements have been delayed due to state-called closure of banks and government institutions because of the current Covid-19 scenario in Sri Lanka. The IPG will make an official statement regarding all decisions in consultation with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) shortly”, IPG said.
The LPL is facing a delay, as health authorities have not yet given approval for the tournament to be held as scheduled in November, due to combatting the ‘second wave’ of the coronavirus at present.
The five-team event is scheduled to start on November 21 in Hambantota where the first leg of matches is expected to be played, while the second leg will be in Pallekele, Kandy.
The Health Ministry has imposed stringent measures for participants, such as the players having to undergo the mandatory 14-days quarantine period prior to participating in the tournament.
According to the Sunday Times, the Health Ministry is yet to approve a list of 140 names including foreign players, production crew and other stakeholders, sent by the SLC for visa clearance.
“We are in the dark. The production crew should be here by November 3 to complete quarantine. That leaves them just three days to organise everything. The players should be here by November 7 in order to play. We are really frustrated by how health authorities have responded to this,” a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) official said.
The SLC is pushing for the event to be approved as the Sri Lanka national team is due to travel to South Africa for a two-match Test series soon after the LPL is completed, and there is no chance of the tournament being further delayed. (NewsWire)