Sri Lanka’s new captain Tillakaratne Dilshan will leave the Indian Premier League (IPL) early to join the national squad in England May 11, three days before the first warm-up against Middlesex.
The decision was taken after intense negotiations between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) last week.
“He will be there on May 11,” said SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga.
Dilshan, who was keen to join the national team early, will now miss the last four group as well as knock-out matches of IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The decision will also bring some relief for Dilshan, who wanted to spend time with the squad and new coach Stuart Law. Five Sri Lanka players, however, will stay on in the IPL and miss the Middlesex game.
Match fixing probe
Sri Lanka’s sports minister on Monday ordered a police inquiry into match-fixing allegations levelled by former international captain Hashan Tillakaratne.
“I have asked the inspector-general of police to investigateand give a report,” Mahindananda Aluthgamage told.
{{/usCountry}}“I have asked the inspector-general of police to investigateand give a report,” Mahindananda Aluthgamage told.
{{/usCountry}}However on Sunday, SL’s World Cup captain Kumar Sangakkara challenged Tillakaratne to prove his allegations. “Hashan has played the game for years and he’s captained Sri Lanka as well. So it’s interesting to see what he has to say and if he has anything more than allegations,” he said.