|| Desk Report ||

The Lanka Premier League, which was likely to begin on August 28 and conclude on September 20, has been postponed for the time being as it will be difficult to include foreign players due to quarantine norms in Sri Lanka because of the global pandemic novel coronavirus.

However, the tournament is now expected to be played mid-November after the 2020 edition of Indian Premier League.

"We had a discussion with the health authorities and the 14 day quarantine period for anyone entering the country is compulsory. So it’s difficult to play the tournament at the end of August”, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) President Shammi Silva told NewsWire. "We will play the tournament in mid-November after IPL."

The Lanka Premier League was supposed to be a five-franchise event, comprising of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna where as many as 70 overseas players had expressed their eagerness to play, according to Sri Lanka cricket.

SLC vice-president Ravin Wickramaratne had earlier said that the quarantine rules could be a challenge amid this situation.

“We are ready to start on the 28th, but there are some areas where we will have to be in line with the health authorities,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Wickramaratne as saying.

“By the 13th they will give us the guidelines as to what to do with the players. We had a couple of meetings with the health authorities, who have come up with health guidelines for tourists. They’d have to be in quarantine for seven days, but then their movements are restricted. We are trying to see whether foreign players can be exempted. We are not the experts, so we will wait for their guidance,” he further added.