Tour to England Off As Sri Lanka Shun Tests for Lucrative Ipl

Sri Lanka's two-Test tour of England next year will not take place, its country's board said yesterday, after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) finalized a proposal that will commit the future of its international players to the Indian Premier League at the expense of Test cricket.

"The series is definitely off, since it has not yet been ratified by the ECB and still remains subject to approval," said an SLC official of its status with the England and Wales Cricket Board. "So, there is absolutely no chance they are going to sanction a series against a Sri Lanka A side."

SLC has always suggested that its star players would be unavailable for the tour of England because of their IPL commitments and the announcement not only confirms that but suggests that the IPL will be the board's top priority for the next decade.

In place of next summer's Test series against England SLC has offered the ECB a three-match one-day international series to be played around May 25.

Sri Lanka's sports minister, Gamini Lokuge, is understood to be the man driving through a deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). In return for committing its centrally contracted players to play in the IPL and the Champions League for the next 10 years, SLC would receive $70m (£41m) from the BCCI. The BCCI has also offered to include Sri Lanka in two tri-series in 2009 and 2010 as an extra financial incentive.

The Sri Lankan Cricketers' Association last discussed a deal with Lalit Modi, the chairman of the IPL, two weeks ago. The proposal has not been ratified but representatives of both parties will meet to discuss the fine print a week tomorrow. It is believed that the deal would permit Sri Lanka's Test tour of England in 2010, which is scheduled to clash with the IPL, to take place.

Meanwhile in Bangalore, India's left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan claimed a five-wicket haul but not before Mike Hussey had steered Australia to a position of strength on the second day of the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar series. Zaheer picked up three quick wickets shortly after tea as Australia were bowled out for 430.

Hussey had brought up his ninth Test century with a rare inside-edged boundary but was then last man out when another inside edge off a Zaheer delivery hit the stumps to end his innings at 146, his highest Test score against India.

By the close India's openers, Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag, had reduced the advantage with an unbeaten 68-run stand. Sehwag was the aggressor, reaching stumps on 43 while Gambhir was on 20 when a sharp shower ended play nine overs early.

Ishant Sharma had taken wickets periodically in the first two sessions of the day and he finished with four for 77. In the second over of the day he dismissed Shane Watson, who was playing his first Test in three years, with a delivery that moved off the seam. Hussey, who resumed from his overnight 46, looked untroubled as he struck vital partnerships with Brad Haddin and later Brett Lee to carry Australia past 400. Hussey and Haddin (33) had added 91 for the sixth wicket, with the wicketkeeper-batsman looking good for more, when he was dismissed by Ishant just after lunch.