2020 Lanka Premier League faces postponement until November due to COVID-19

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Image Courtesy: SPORTZPICS/SLC

Sri Lanka Cricket Board announced on Tuesday postponed their new premier league tournament for the indefinite time period which was earlier scheduled to take place later this month as health authorities insisted on a two-week quarantine for foreign players.

Image Courtesy: SPORTZPICS/SLC

 

Sri Lanka Cricket had earlier announced last month that they want to resume top-level cricket with the Lanka Premier League (LPL) from August 28 where 70 international players would take part.

“We asked for a three-day quarantine period, but the health authorities insisted on 14 days,” a cricket official told AFP. “Under those restrictions, it is not feasible to hold the tournament this month.”

The local board has decided to play 23 matches from August 28 to September 20. The matches were likely to be played at four international venues on the island as well. On the other hand, the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to start in the United Arab Emirates from September 19 which was earlier scheduled to play in March.

Although Sri Lanka Cricket had not named any of the foreign stars who had agreed to play in the league. Meanwhile, all those entering the island currently have to spend quarantine for two weeks at state-managed centres and after that another two weeks of self-quarantine is there as well.

However, the government had earlier announced that the reopening of the country’s international airports to foreign tourists from August 1, but it was postponed for an indefinite time period amid the crunch time of the second wave of infections of COVID-19.

Sri Lanka has reported more than 2,875 infections with at least 11 deaths because of this, according to official figures. Meanwhile, the England team has cancelled their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka on March 13 as the pandemic started spreading.

Since then, South Africa and Bangladesh have also cancelled their scheduled tours of Sri Lanka.

On the other hand, the BCCI has received the formal approval from the central government to host the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE, IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has revealed the news on Monday.

“Yes, we have received all the written approvals,” Patel told PTI when he was asked whether the permission has come in writing from both the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Notably, if an Indian sports body shifts a domestic tournament outside India, they require the clearance from Home, External and sports ministries respectively to host the tournament there.

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