Sri Lankan players given extra time with IPL teams

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Cricket will allow its IPL contracted cricketers to play in the Indian Premier League until May 19 before joining the rest of the team in England, the board said on Thursday.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India had asked their Sri Lankan counterparts to reconsider their earlier decision to recall all the IPL contracted players picked for the tour of England by May 5.

The England tour commences on May 14 with a three-day game against Middlesex, but Sri Lanka will have only nine of the 16 players selected for the England tour available.

Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said an additional three or four players will be picked by the national selectors to make the team for the tour opener.

"We have asked the seven IPL players picked for the England tour to make themselves available to play in the second tour match against England Lions starting on May 19," said Ranatunga.

Newly-appointed captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Dilhara Fernando, Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv and Nuwan Pradeep are involved with teams in the IPL.