India to play 5 ODIs, one T20 match in Sri Lanka next month

Colombo, Jan 13 (PTI) The Indian cricket team will play five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match in Sri Lanka next month, the dates of which would be announced soon, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N Srinivasan said here Tuesday.

"We have agreed to visit Sri Lanka and play five One Day
Internationals and one Twenty20 match before we go to New
Zealand for our pre-fixed tour. The exact dates will be
finalised soon and will be released jointly," Srinivasan said
in a press conference.

Srinivasan also thanked Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge for
assuring that Sri Lankan cricketers would be available for the
second edition of the Indian Premier League scheduled in
April.

"We are grateful to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and to the
minister for having said that they will release the Sri Lankan
players for the IPL and that we will have a clear
understanding on this which will be inked on the day that we
play our Twenty20 match here," Srinivasan said.

He also thanked the SLC for supporting the BCCI's stand
on the rebel Indian Cricket League.

"We are also thankful to Sri Lanka Cricket for their
very firm expression of support to the BCCI stand with regards
to the ICL. Now we look forward to an interesting ODI series
and a Twenty20 game in Sri Lanka when our team comes here,"
the BCCI official said.

Hailing the India-Sri Lanka cricket ties, Srinivasan
said, "India and Sri Lanka have had a very long and very close
relationship in cricket among other things and I am present
here today to assure Sri Lankan cricket that the BCCI will
continue to cherish the relationship that we have and support
Sri Lankan Cricket in furtherance to that and we will always
stand with you," he added.

The cancellation of India's tour of Pakistan following
the terror attacks in Mumbai provided a gap in the calendar
and Sri Lanka too split their hastily-arranged Pakistan tour
to accommodate this series.

Srinivasan, meanwhile, dismissed notions that BCCI put
pressure on its Sri Lankan counterpart to get rid of Arjuna
Ranatunga from the helm of the SLC interim committee.

"No there was no precondition. We have no right to
interfere or make any suggestions, comments or request on the
internal matter of SLC. The Sri Lankan Cricket is as sovereign
as the BCCI," Srinivasan said.

Ranatunga was against allowing Sri Lankan players take
part in the IPL this year and was in fact negotiating a tour
of England which would have coincided with the BCCI-backed
Twenty20 event.

Srinivasan also denied pressurising SLC to let its
players take part in the IPL.

"All Sri Lankan players were made available during the
first season of IPL. There was no hesitation at all and we
actually thanked Sri Lanka Cricket for their gesture at that
time and even this year none of the players have indicated
that there was any pressure or anything. So I think that
impression is wrong. There was no linen that was dirty," he
said.

Asked how much of the loss that BCCI suffered of late
would be offset by this series, Srinivasan said, "We have
already indicated after our last Working Committee meeting
that there is a loss of revenue to the BCCI of Rs 122 crore.
Still the BCCI will have a surplus of income over expenditure.

"We are not coming here with the intention of making any
money. The domestic rights, when we come here, belong to Sri
Lanka Cricket and not to us. So we are coming here to honour
the request of our friend and neighbour," he said. PTI TVS
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