LPL Player Draft to go ahead as scheduled tomorrow

• “Worst scenario is we might have to postpone or cancel LPL for next year,” says Tournament Director  

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Despite the growing numbers in the COVID-19 cluster the Lanka Premier League (LPL) ‘Player Draft’ is expected to take place as scheduled on Friday, 9 October.

LPL Tournament Director Ravin Wickramaratne whilst confirming it said that they have to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach if the tournament can go ahead from 21 November onwards.

“That of course no one can predict if they arrest the cluster it might become normal in a few weeks, but we don’t know. Anyway we are going ahead with our plans. The worst scenario is we might have to postpone it or cancel it for next year,” said Wickramaratne.

“So far we are playing it by ear you can’t do anything, you cannot predict. It is something we never expected to happen,” he said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the LPL has already been postponed twice from 14 August to 14 November and then again for 21 November in order to ensure that participating players have adequate time to meet ‘Quarantine Requirements’, as per the Government’s health regulations.

Sri Lanka Cricket while postponing the start of the tournament to 21 November are also hopeful of roping in some of the overseas players taking part in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) which is expected to conclude on 10 November.

Wickramaratne said that players from Bangladesh may not be available for the ‘Player Draft’ because they are due to commence their domestic calendar from 11 October.

Apart from the cricketers from the West Indies, he said all the overseas players who have agreed to undergo the 14-day quarantine period were available for the ‘Player Draft’.