Announcing the sudden existence of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) has upset officials of the Lanka Premier League (LPL 2021) and Sri Lanka Cricket. The LPL 2021 is also facing further trouble after two franchises were terminated.
KPL will begin on August 6 with the final on August 16. It will feature some Pakistani cricketers along with a few foreigners from Sri Lanka and England. Some of them are essential to LPL 2021.
The inaugural Kashmir Premier League will feature six teams – Bagh Stallions, Mirpur Royals, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Overseas Warriors, and Kotli Lions – thanks to the blessings of both the Pakistan Government and the Pakistan Cricket Board. Numerous franchises have signed players such as Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Monty Panesar, etc.
Lanka Premier League, set to begin its second edition in 2021, will be played on the same dates as the KPL this year. Ravin Wickramaratne, the Vice President of the SLC, said the sudden decision to host the KPL has now forced the Lankan board to decide whether the LPL should still take place with Pakistan players potentially absent.
“We haven’t decided anything as of yet, we will be deciding soon. You will have to wait patiently. It is not PCB I think, it is the Pakistan government who have decided on hosting the KPL. The SLC CEO is in talks, but you will have to be patient. We are discussing whether to go ahead or postponed the LPL, that decision the management will take. The KPL was not in the schedule,” he said in a statement to ANI.
Additionally, the LPL has had some difficulties with franchises, and two teams – Colombo Kings and Dambulla Vikings – have already had their contracts terminated.
