Relegated clubs to be allowed to play in Major T20: TC Chairman

• No promotions for three years till clubs in Major League are reduced to 15

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka Cricket’s Tournament Committee Chairman Samantha Dodanwela said that the four clubs that were demoted at the end of the 2022 Major League tournament will be allowed to play in the Major T20 tournament next season, but not in the Major League and the Major Limited-Over tournaments.

“We have proposed this and will take a call on it at the next domestic cricket committee meeting.”

Dodanwela also stated that the four relegated clubs will not be playing in the one-day Governor’s Cup but in Tier B which will not have any first-class status.

“According to the structure it says the four clubs will be demoted to play in the Governor’s Cup. But we have already discussed this matter and are trying to have a Tier B without first-class status and allow these clubs to play in it,” said Dodanwela. 

“The Governor’s Cup consists of only one-day cricket and it will not serve any purpose to have these clubs who have good cricketers playing in that tournament. What we have suggested is to have a Tier B without first-class status which means the four clubs will play 2-day matches against each other twice which gives them seven games each. The following year another four clubs will be relegated thus bringing the total in Tier B to eight clubs.”

Dodanwela said that the four relegated clubs have been issued letters by the Tournament Committee informing them of their status in the tournament for next season.

According to the structure the last two teams of each of the two groups will be relegated. In this context Kalutara Town Club and Lankan CC from Group A, and Saracens SC and Navy SC from Group B are the clubs that have been demoted, thus reducing the number of clubs in the Major League for next season from 26 to 22. 

The whole idea of the Tournament Committee is to bring the number of clubs playing in the Major League down to 15 over a period of three years, which means a further four clubs will be relegated at the end of the Major League next year, and three more the following year. Thus, in these three years there won’t be any promotions from Tier B to the Major League.   

Dodanwela also confirmed that one of the clubs Saracens SC has written to them wanting a meeting with the domestic cricket committee. He said the request will be met no sooner the Lanka Premier League is completed. The LPL will run from 6-23 December.