Last updated: 13th July 2008
Jayawardene: Sri Lanka skipper could miss tour
The players were already committed to play in the IPL and they have also assured us that they would give the 2011 tour of England top priority ahead of the IPL.
Duleep Mendis, chief executive of Sri Lanka Cricket
Quotes of the week
Sri Lanka Cricket have announced that they will allow their players contracted to the Indian Premier League to miss the tour of England.
The decision means the squad could be without several of their star men for the two Tests and three one-day internationals in April and May next year.
The England and Wales Cricket Board had only recently confirmed the schedule after inviting Sri Lanka following the cancellation of Zimbabwe's tour.
However, the dates agreed mean a conflict of interests for some of the squad who are also due to play in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament in India.
It could mean Sri Lanka arrive in 2009 without the likes of captain Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya and Lasith Malinga.
"We will be taking up the matter with the ECB shortly to find what alternatives we can arrive at without upsetting both parties," Duleep Mendis, the chief executive of SLC, said.
"The players were already committed to play in the IPL and they have also assured us that they would give the 2011 tour of England top priority ahead of the IPL.
"Taking these points into consideration, we couldn't let them down.Therefore it was agreed that the players be allowed to play in the IPL next year."
There appears little way the tour can be pushed back in the calendar with England hosting the World Twenty20 Cup in June before the Ashes series against Australia.

All the best images from day four of play between the England Lions and Australia at New Road.
All the action from day one of the first Test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Galle.
All the best images from day three of play between the England Lions and Australia at New Road.
All the best images from day three of play between the England XI and Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
All the best images from day four of play between the England Lions and Australia at New Road.
| Fixture |
|---|
| Sunday 5th July |
| Test Match First Test Match |
| Sri Lanka vs Pakistan |
| Sunday 12th July |
| Test Match Second Test Match |
| Sri Lanka vs Pakistan |
| Result |
|---|
| Sunday 21st June |
| ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
| Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Pakistan won by 8 wickets. |
| Friday 19th June |
| ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
| Sri Lanka vs West Indies Sri Lanka won by 57 runs. |
| Tuesday 16th June |
| ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
| New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Sri Lanka won by 48 runs. |
| Sunday 14th June |
| ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
| Ireland vs Sri Lanka Sri Lanka won by 9 runs. |
| Friday 12th June |
| ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
| Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Sri Lanka won by 19 runs. |
| Wednesday 10th June |
| ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
| Sri Lanka vs West Indies Sri Lanka won by 15 runs. |
| Monday 8th June |
| ICC World Twenty20 2009 |
| Australia vs Sri Lanka Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets. |
| Wednesday 3rd June |
| World Cup warm up |
| Sri Lanka vs South Africa South Africa won by 6 wickets. |
| Tuesday 2nd June |
| World Cup warm up |
| Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets. |
| Tuesday 3rd March |
| Test Match Series |
| Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Match Drawn |
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