Sat, July 21, 2012
COLOMBO, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan cricket board on Saturday assured the integrity of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL), a cricket tournament to be staged in the country next month.
Sri Lanka cricket board media manager Rajith Fernando said that the SLPL will be conducted according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct.
He said that the board introduced a competitive bidding process in order to ensure transparency and obtain the highest possible value for each franchise involved in the tournament.
There were concerns raised in the local media this week about the franchise holders who own the seven teams taking part in the tournament.
Seven teams representing seven provinces in Sri Lanka and consisting of a cream of local and international players will take part in the 21-day tournament.
Fernando said that under the franchise agreement for the Twenty 20 SLPL tournament a franchisee cannot be engaged in gaming and betting activities and they are required to have sufficient financial resources to meet their commitments to the cricket board and the players.
"Sri Lanka Cricket has taken all possible precautions to ensure that the franchisees are persons who would be mandated to adhere strictly to the guidelines laid down in order to have a successful tournament. In this whole process, what has been fundamental to Sri Lanka Cricket is to maintain the integrity of the tournament and of the franchisees themselves," Fernando said.
The tournament is being staged on the lines of the successful Indian Premier League (IPL) held every year and featuring the best international players.
However the Sri Lankan tournament will not have any Indians taking part as a result of restrictions imposed by the Indian cricket board.
