Friday 5th September 2008
Ranatunga: Eng tour will go ahead
Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee chief Arjuna Ranatunga claimed the tour of England in 2009 will go ahead as planned.
The England and Wales Cricket Board announced in July that Sri Lanka would play two Tests and three one-day internationals in April and May next year.
The announcement caught Sri Lankan players by surprise as the dates clash with the second edition of the Indian Premier League.
Several players have lucrative contracts with the IPL but Ranatunga insisted the SLC would see the commitment honoured.
"We have a memorandum of understanding with the England and Wales Cricket Board for the tour and we must honour that," he told reporters.
On Monday, several players including captain Mahela Jayawardene and vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara met with sports minister Gamini Lokuge in the hope of having the tour called off.
The players had also been in contact with Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse following their triumph in the Asia Cup in July and urged him to intervene in the matter.
Rajapakse is reported to be sympathetic to the players' view and had directed the SLC to find an alternative plan.
Lokuge is trying to find a compromise solution and has scheduled another meeting with the players next week.
