The Innovative Production Group FZE (IPG) the Event Rights Partner of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) yesterday (23) clarified in a media release that notwithstanding the recent events surrounding the arrest of a co-owner of the Dambulla franchise, the League’s fifth edition will go ahead as scheduled.
The press release comes in the wake of the owner of the LPL franchise Dambulla Thunders, Tamim Rahman being detained at the BIA and then arrested on charges of match-fixing.
He was nabbed by the officials from the Special Investigations Unit for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports attached to the Sports Ministry on Wednesday.
The suspect – a British citizen of Bangladesh origin was then produced before Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela and remanded till 31 May.
The IPG Group said that as the Event Rights Partner of the LPL, they were committed to ensuring that the tournament remains a showcase of the best in cricket, embodying the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship.
The statement released by IPG Group Chairperson Anil Mohan read: “The Lanka Premier League Season 5 will continue with its full schedule and roster of matches, featuring five teams. The Dambulla franchise, despite the recent changes, will participate under new ownership. We are in the final stages of confirming the new ownership, ensuring a seamless transition and uninterrupted participation of the team in the tournament. IPG has always upheld the highest standards of propriety and integrity as the Event Rights Partner of the LP L. Our dedication to maintaining these standards remains unwavering. We assure all players, fans, and stakeholders that the League’s integrity and the spirit of cricket will be preserved throughout the tournament. The LPL remains a premier cricketing event, dedicated to showcasing the best of cricket and fostering a spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. We assure everyone involved that the tournament will go ahead as planned, delivering the high-quality cricket experience that fans have come to expect.”
The LPL will be conducted from 1-21 July starting in Kandy, then in Dambulla, before heading to Colombo for the business end of the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Lanka Premier League (LPL) Director Samantha Dodanwela on Wednesday (22) announced that only the rights of the ‘Dambulla Thunders’ franchise, has been terminated and retracted effective immediately.
He too, like Mohan emphasised that the decision to terminate and retract the rights of the franchise concerned, does not entail its removal from the League, but only the change of ownership.
“It has to be stressed that this decision means that only the owners’ contract have been terminated,” he told The Daily Morning Sports.
“It should not be misconstrued that the team ‘Dambulla Thunders’ are out of the League. In fact they will be playing 100% and this only concerns the owner and hence there will be a new owner ahead of the start of the fifth edition.”
According to Dodanwela the above decision follows recent developments concerning the legal issues faced by Tamim Rahman, CEO of Imperial Sports Group, the owner of the ‘Dambulla Thunders’ franchise.
“While the specifics of the charges against Rahman remain unclear, the integrity and smooth running of the LPL are of utmost importance,” the LPL Director added.
In April, the Dambulla franchise was purchased by the Imperial Sports Group led by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs.
The suspect\s arrest came on the back of Dambulla Thunders’ participation at the LPL player auction held on Tuesday (21) in Colombo, during which the franchise had reportedly made 18 signings.
Shanaka approached?
In the meantime, unconfirmed reports said that the owner of the Dambulla Thunders franchise who was nabbed on Wednesday had allegedly approached ex-Sri Lanka white-ball captain Dasun Shanaka, to fix certain matches while taking over its captaincy.
It is said that Shanaka has informed the incident to the officers from the Special Investigations Unit for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports attached to the Sports Ministry and the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit.
The all-rounder is currently with the national team in the US ahead of the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup next month.
It has also been confirmed that officials from the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit had also been present at the LPL player auction.