LPL: Team owners, TV rights not finalised
With 25 days remaining for the curtain-raiser of the inaugural Lanka Premier League (LPL), the organisers of Sri Lanka’s franchise-based Twenty20 cricket extravaganza are yet to finalise the owners of three teams and confirm the process of TV Rights, which will make a huge impact on the future of the competition.
According to sources, the 23-day LPL is yet to rake in an exclusive TV Rights Holder, but have given various entities to telecast in different regions. The process would only give the organisers and franchises monetary returns through advertising revenues, under a scheme of profit sharing through these broadcasters.
The Sunday Times understands that the telecast of LPL in Sri Lanka and India will be through Sony while in Europe, Sky Television will be the boradcaster. For other regions, the organisers have found different broadcasters, who are yet to be named.
An official of SLC confirmed that the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Big Bash League (BBL) are the only two competitions to have sealed TV Rights Holders, while the remaining Twenty20 leagues throughout the world follow the similar strategy as LPL.
However, the revenue generated through TV Rights comes as the main profit source for the organisers, SLC and event rights holder Innovative Product Group (IPG) and the five franchises, who have to pump in between US$ 1.2 million to 1.5 million per edition. The organisers have gone through many setbacks owing to the present global situation, but the sustainability of the LPL in the coming years depends on their ability to generate money through broadcasting.
As the organisers are yet to announce a final outcome on the TV Rights component of the LPL, they are also yet to finalise the owners of at least two franchises, though the player draft took place on October 19. The draft was conducted through internet in an extremely chaotic manner with the team owners and representatives making their biddings in an uncertain process where rules and protocols were not determined.
The only confirmed participant to make his presence representing a franchise was Wasim Akram, the mentor of Galle Gladiators, who share the same owner as Quetta Gladiators of Pakistan Super League (PSL). Galle Gladiators were the only franchise to possess an owner in the LPL by then. Two days after the player draft, on October 21, SLC announced that Kandy Tuskers was bought by Bollywood actor, producer and film maker Sohail Khan, the younger brother of Indian actor Salman Khan.
The two franchises yet to find takers are Colombo Kings and Dambulla Hawks. As at yesterday, unconfirmed sources stated that Jaffna Stallions is likely to be bought over by a consortium of Sri Lankans expatriates in the United Kingdom. The group is said to be led by Anandan Arnold, a leading tax consultant and a relative of former Sri Lanka cricketer and commentator Russell Arnold.
SLC, meanwhile explained that franchises should follow a screening process through the International Cricket Council (ICC) before making the final announcement. Galle Gladiators and Kandy Tuskers have completed the said process before announcing its owners. In addition IPG, the event rights holder, stated that any announcement with regard to the LPL should come through the local board, SLC, but so far IPG too has issued statements and announcements via its Public Relations partner.
With the present state of affairs being such, the organisers have made arrangements to bring down foreign players of all five franchises beginning from November 1. They will have to complete the local quarantine process of 14 days. SLC confirmed that all foreign players have been notified of the process and they will be shifted to hotel facilities in Hambantota and Kandy.
A total of 30 foreign players are set to represent the five franchises with six each being drafted into a team. Already 25 foreign players have been named for the LPL with Galle Gladiators being the only franchise to finalise their list of local and foreign players.
In addition, Faf du Plessis of South Africa and Dawid Malan of England may have to cut down their presence or withdraw if both players are picked to be part of the England’s white-ball tour to South Africa, which includes three each of T20s and ODIs from November 27 to December 9. In the upcoming LPL three South Africans and two Englishmen will be among the list of 30 foreign players, but both England and South Africa are yet to name their sides. Du Plessis has been drafted into Colombo Kings while Malan will represent Jaffna Gladiators in the LPL.
Also, despite SLC naming Sri Lanka T20 skipper Lasith Malinga as the icon player and skipper of Galle Gladiators, it is learnt that the franchise is more in favour of naming allrounder Shahid Afridi as its skipper. The reason behind is said to be the Gladiators’ management being keen to continue its management procedures followed in the PSL at the LPL. The LPL begins on November 21 and ends on December 14.