Sri Lankans put lucrative IPL contracts before England tour

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The ECB will receive a call from their counterparts in Colombo requesting a deal which would allow 13 of their leading lights, including Muttiah Muralitharan and captain Mahele Jayawardene, to fulfil their commitment to Indian Premier League franchises.

Sri Lanka are due to play two Tests and three ODIs here as early-season replacements for Zimbabwe, but the players have protested as the tour clashes with the IPL season and threatens their lucrative contracts.

With Sri Lanka Cricket adopting a supportive stance yesterday — just a week after agreeing to the England tour — the likely scenario is that separate, weakened teams will be sent for the Tests, then the one-day matches.

Haroon Lorgat, the new ICC chief executive, said: ‘This a huge challenge. If we don’t manage this situation we could be threatening the lifeblood of all member countries. International cricket generates revenue that is essential to the survival of all our members.

‘My folks always used to say: “Be careful because money is the root of all evil”. The root of this issue is the sums of money involved. It is far more attractive financially to play in the IPL. I know the Sri Lanka players are not keen to come to England at the time they are playing in the IPL.

‘Players have short careers and they want immediate rewards but we have to educate them about the development of the game. All of us, players included, must be responsible.’

SLC chief executive Duleep Mendis said: ‘The players were already committed to playing in the IPL for three years (2008-10) but have assured us they will give the 2011 tour of England top priority ahead of the IPL. Taking this into consideration, we couldn’t let them down.

'The president promised to look into the players' grievances and instructed the sports minister to ask the interim committee to draw up alternative proposals,' Rajapakse's spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake said.

The England and Wales Cricket Board have declined to comment on the matter until they have heard from Sri Lanka Cricket. The IPL will run from April 10 to May 29 next year.