Cricket influenced and orchestrated by businessmen and destined to offer rich pickings to players in the name of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) has been exposed in all its cut-throat and back-stab dealings on the eve of its second edition which starts today at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
The run-up to the LPL’s media launch on Thursday had all the drama for an intriguing cinematic script to entice cinema goers more than satisfy adoring cricket fans that has tainted and shaken its very foundations with one of the pioneer stake holders, Telugu Warriors Sporting Adventure, opening up a can of worms exposing the shady side of the sunny game.
Teluga Warriors which bought the commercial rights of the Dambulla Viikings at last year’s inaugural LPL, claim they were ripped off by the League’s central stakeholder Innovative Production Group (IPG) after they poured in 900,000 US dollars to kick-start the showpiece event last year and were not paid their eight per cent profit dues amounting to 450,000 US dollars while at the same time bundled out for not paying a further 150,000 US dollars to IPG.
“They (IPG) came to us at short notice and with reluctance just became we love cricket we put our faith in them and the assurances given to us by Sri Lanka Cricket that everything will go on smoothly. But we get a shocker.
“The IPG is one of the most unprofessional companies I have dealt with and I don’t know why Sri Lanka Cricket is not taking responsibility. I thought the world should know all this,” said Sachin Joshi, the owner of Telugu Warriors.
Joshi claimed his company was exploited and then thrown out to make way for another rights buyer of the Dambulla team after last year’s LPL found untold riches in 2020 and then received an Agreement which had nothing that was discussed at the start while ordering him to pay a further 150,000 US dollars to remain in the LPL.
But the whole scenario took another twist when in an attempt to calm down the Telugu Warriors who threatened legal action, IPG called on them to buy the rights of the Colombo team at this year’s LPL and subsequently told them they had missed the bus and that another entity, Kandy, was up for sale.
“We had an agreement (as owner of the Dambulla Viikings) for five years while the process was on. It was all false communications (on the part of IPG),” said Joshi.
Heralding his second LPL at a media launch on Thursday, IPG owner Anil Mohan, who is also Indian, watered down the backlash claiming that Telugu Warriors was ditched as its head Sachin Joshi was facing a legal challenge in court and there was no Agreement between the two parties for any payments.
“He (Joshi) was arrested for money laundering and we took a decision not to involve him in the LPL and spoil our name and we informed the ICC (International Cricket Council) about this,” said Mohan.
But Joshi said a court case pending against him had nothing to do with his dealings or interest in the LPL and was being used to discredit him.
However the biggest question left to be answered is whether Sri Lanka is fast turning into a hunting ground for the new-rich and pompous while the keepers of the sport say their hands are bound.
“We have no dealings with IPG (on financial matters) and that is something for them and the franchise teams to sort out. We go by what the IPG conveys to us on such matters”, said Ravin Wickremaratne the vice president of Sri Lanka Cricket.