Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2021 Postponed Due To Unavailability Of Foreign Players: Reports

The second edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) has been postponed indefinitely by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), as confirmed by the board to InsideSport.co. This decision comes due to the unavailability of the foreign players for the tournament which was supposed to start on July 30th and run till August 22.

However, now, the board has decided to delay the LPL 2021 as most of the overseas stars won’t be available due to international commitments. The report added that the board will soon make an official announcement regarding the same.

“It is unfortunate that the tournament will have to be postponed. Be it Bangladesh, the West Indies, Pakistan or England players – none of them are available at this stage. Right now the new dates for the league are undecided, SLC will check the feasibility in next few weeks,” InsideSport.co quoted one official.

SLC terminated three out of five LPL 2021 teams already

The report also revealed that the unavailability of overseas players is not the only reason for the postponement of the LPL 2021. In fact, the much bigger cause for this decision is that the board is in strife with the owners and their franchises. So much that so far, contracts of as many as three LPL 2021 franchises have been terminated by the board.

After Colombo Kings and Dambulla Vikings, the SLC has dissolved LPL 2020 champions Jaffna Stallions – all three have been dumped from the league for non-compliance with contractual terms. Two teams, last season’s runners-up, Galle Gladiators, and Kandy Tuskers remain.

It’s understood that the organisers are ready with new owners whose KYCs are with the International Cricket Council (ICC). About eight new parties have expressed interest to be a part of the league, and the right parties will be on-boarded once the ICC clearance has been obtained.

It would be difficult for the board to find a window to conduct the season later on. With a busy international schedule in the next couple of months, followed by the CPL, the second phase of the IPL 2021 and the T20 World Cup, they would be missing the foreign players at least until November.

“We understand the calendar is completely packed, we will see if we can get some space. It’s too early to talk about it. The board will decide the way forward along with the organizers”, the official further added.

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