 "Sri Lankan IPL players will not play in Chennai")
With the political pressure not subsiding, IPL governing council has decided that Sri Lankan players will not play in Chennai during the T20 tournament.
The IPL governing council met after the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa refused to host them in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state.
Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that IPL matches would be permitted in the state only if there were no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff in these matches beginning April 3.
Altogether 13 Sri Lankan players, two of whom are captains of their respective teams, are taking part in the sixth edition of the league which will start from April 3. Chennai, the home for Chennai Super Kings, will stage 10 matches in all, including two eliminators, and will continue to remain a venue.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, Jayalalithaa said BCCI may be advised by the Centre to prevail upon the IPL Organizers not to allow Sri Lankan players, officials, umpires and support staff to take part in the tournament in the state.
"In view of the popular antipathy and anger in Tamil Nadu against the actions of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Tamil Nadu is of the view that IPL matches involving Sri Lankan players, umpires and other officials should not be played in Tamil Nadu," she said.
For the league stages, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and Hyderabad Sunrisers will have to bench key players like Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, respectively for their matches in Chennai. Barring Kings XI Punjab, all the other franchises have at least one or more Sri Lankan players in their squad.
The IPL governing council met after the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa refused to host them in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state.
Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that IPL matches would be permitted in the state only if there were no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff in these matches beginning April 3.
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“The IPL Governing Council met this afternoon to discuss the issue. The security of all involved in the IPL, whether players, spectators or those working in the stadiums, is of paramount importance to the BCCI. The Governing Council decided that Sri Lankan players will not participate in the Pepsi IPL 2013 League matches in Chennai and will advise the nine franchises accordingly,” Rajeev Shukla, chairman, IPL said in a statement.
Altogether 13 Sri Lankan players, two of whom are captains of their respective teams, are taking part in the sixth edition of the league which will start from April 3. Chennai, the home for Chennai Super Kings, will stage 10 matches in all, including two eliminators, and will continue to remain a venue.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, Jayalalithaa said BCCI may be advised by the Centre to prevail upon the IPL Organizers not to allow Sri Lankan players, officials, umpires and support staff to take part in the tournament in the state.
"In view of the popular antipathy and anger in Tamil Nadu against the actions of the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Tamil Nadu is of the view that IPL matches involving Sri Lankan players, umpires and other officials should not be played in Tamil Nadu," she said.
For the league stages, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and Hyderabad Sunrisers will have to bench key players like Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, respectively for their matches in Chennai. Barring Kings XI Punjab, all the other franchises have at least one or more Sri Lankan players in their squad.