India safe for Sri Lankan cricketers: BCCI president

New Delhi - Indian cricket board president N.Srinivasan said Monday that India was safe for Sri Lankan cricketers playing for the Indian Premier League (IPL) and feels that the Tamil Nadu government is capable to handle law and order situation in the state.

Street protests have taken place in Tamil Nadu to denounce the Sri Lankan government for the killings of Tamil civilians in the war against the Tamil Tigers in the island country.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president hoped that the issue will be sorted out despite threats by Tamil activists to disrupt games involving Sri Lankan players.

“These are operational matters. I don’t want to get into this issue. The IMG (event manager) and the IPL will look at it and decide. The government of Tamil Nadu is capable of handling law and order situation. I feel these issues will get sorted out,” Srinivasan told IANS.

Asked if any IPL teams have requested the BCCI to move matches out of Chennai, Srinivasan said: “I am not aware of it.”

Eight of the nine IPL franchises have Sri Lankan players in their roster. Chennai, home to Super Kings, is scheduled to host 10 IPL matches this season.

Akila Dananjaya and Nuwan Kulasekara will play for Chennai Super Kings; Jeevan Mendis and Mahela Jayawardene for Delhi Daredevils; Sachithra Senanayake plays for Kolkata Knight Riders; Lasith Malinga is with Mumbai Indians; Ajantha Mendis and Angelo Mathews are in Pune Warriors; Rajasthan Royals have Kusal Janith Perera; Royal Challengers have Muttiah Muralitharan and Tillakaratne Dilshan; and Sunrisers Hyderabad have Kumar Sangakkara and Thisara Perera.

Jayawardene will be leading Daredevils and Sangakkara will be in charge of Sunrisers.