SLPL rebranded as Elite T20 Championship

Sri Lanka Cricket Zonal Tournament has been renamed as the SLC Elite Championship after it was officially announced at a media conference on Friday at Maitland Place.

Sri Lanka Premier League which was played few years ago in 2012 has been rebranded in a new attractive way with five traditional cricketing cities, Colombo, Galle, Kurunegala, Hambanthota and Kandy to field teams for this regional tournament.

The limited-overs tournament and four-day tournament will follow the T20 championship with the final game scheduled on the final week of April.

“This is Mahela Jayawardene’s initiative which he proposed 8 months ago. All these bases will have trainers, physios, regional managers and will have facilities similar to what is available in Colombo. We need to make sure those base are as strong as Colombo. Most of our cricketers come from the outstations, we must go to them rather than bring them to Colombo,” Sri Lanka Interim Committee Chairman Sidath Wettimuny said.

The whole purpose of this is to identify the most effective administrative, cricketing and commercial domestic structure for Sri Lanka Cricket. This will provide a pathway for School/Academy/District/Specialist Coaches/Support Staff to international level.

The Sri Lanka Elite Championship will commence on 26th January with the new-look T20 format including two foreign players while all the national cricketers will also be available after they end the New Zealand tour.

“We shall start the preparations from the first week of December. We have already decided the coaches from our own coaching panel, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Avishka Gunawardene, Roy Dias, Nuwan Zoysa and Piyal Wijethunge.” Sri Lanka Cricket CEO, Ashley De Silva shared few insights on the upcoming tournament.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) clearly stated all the objective of this Elite Championship.
1. To establish an effective & competitive first-class cricket structure.
2. To establish clear equal pathways for developing cricket Nationwide to reach the elite level.
3. To maximize cricket related infrastructure facilities.
4. To optimize & share the commercial returns to all Stake holders.
5. To provide an effective Administrative, Finance, Commercial, Coaching & Elite Cricket Championship.
6. To implement & enhance an Umpire and Match Referee structure to achieve excellence.
7. To ensure the Schools Cricket Plan (SCP) focuses on building the standard of cricket in Sri Lanka.

Many of the media queried if the upcoming Sri Lanka Cricket Elections on January 3rd will have an effect on this proposed tournament, “Let’s think ahead, nobody can criticize that this is something bad. This is all for the betterment for cricket. If this is good, I’m sure it is, elected authorities will continue this initiative. “Wettimuny said and later mentioned he has no intentions of contesting the elections.