Sri Lankans to lose millions

Also expected to suffer a similar shortfall in revenue are Taj television who own the broadcasting rights for international cricket matches played in Sri Lanka.

The regional Test team led by Shivnarine Chanderpaul are without batting superstar Brian Lara, hard hitting opening batsman Chris Gayle, elegant middle-order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan or fast bowlers Corey Collymore and Pedro Collins.

The players were omitted from the senior side after they failed to sign match/tour contracts issued by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) which rendered them ineligible for consideration to be selected.

This development came mere hours before the team was scheduled to leave the Caribbean on Friday and after protracted discussions between the WICB and the WI Players’ Association failed to reach an agreement on several contentious issues.

The Sri Lankan Board officials have been following the situation closely and are reported to be very upset that the second string team has been sent to contest the Two-Test series and a triangular one-day competition with India.

Without the star power of Lara, the Sri Lankans have resigned themselves to empty stadiums and a lack of marketing power for the short tour.

The US $50 million television rights contract between Taj Television and the Sri Lankan Board has also been brought into question.

In a report yesterday on the Cricinfo website, Taj Television have decided not to make any comments at this stage on the upcoming Test and one-day triangular series involving hosts Sri Lanka, West Indies and India.

Cricinfo states that the series has now become a somewhat low-key affair after Lara, Gayle and Sarwan were dropped because of the latest contract dispute.

The second-string team under the captaincy Chanderpaul comprises eight players from the West Indies "A" team who are currently touring Sri Lanka.

Taj’s director of sales and marketing, Jude de Vallier told Cricinfo said that this is not the appropriate time to make any comments with regard to the series, but added that they would review the situation and issue a statement if it is necessary.

In January, Taj Television, the holding company of the Dubai-based sports broadcaster Ten Sports, signed a US$ 50 million broadcasting rights deal with Sri Lanka cricket for three years.

Cricinfo says it seems that the television company is going to make a rather inauspicious start in trying to sell TV rights for the two-Test series and the seven-match one-day triangular tournament. The first Test begins on July 13.