ESPN has secured TV rights to broadcast the first season of the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League cricket this month. ESPN will show the competition in the UK and Ireland on TV, plus online highlights.
The Twenty20 competition will feature a total of 24 matches as seven teams representing the provinces of Sri Lanka compete in a round robin group stage, semi-finals and final between Saturday 11th and Friday 31st August.
ESPN’s coverage of the Sri Lanka Premier League starts on Saturday August 11 with Basnahira Cricket Dundee v Kandurata Warriors live at 3.30pm, including both semi-finals on 28th and 29th August, and the final on 31st August.
The league is set to feature some of cricket’s biggest names – legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan will appear alongside fellow Sri Lankans Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Matthews, as well as overseas stars including New Zealand’s Jacob Oram and Scott Styris, Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, Misbah Ul Haque and Umar Gul, West Indies’ Shiv Chanderpaul and Jerome Taylor, Australia’s Dirk Nannes, Andrew McDonald and Brad Hodge, and, South Africa’s Loots Bosman.
An impressive line-up of former international players will form the presentation team on ESPN throughout the tournament. Former Australian stars Dean Jones and Jeff Thomson, ex-Pakistani batsman Rameez Raja, the West Indies’ Jeff Dujon, former Sri Lankan opening batsman Russel Arnold and his fellow countryman Roshan Abeysinghe will offer their insight and expertise.
Jeroen Oerlemans, Vice-President, TV Channels, ESPN EMEA, said: “The inaugural season of the Sri Lanka Premier League cricket will feature some of the biggest stars in the sport. This is a great addition to our schedule in a month that is already full of top class sporting action including the return of the new football seasons around the UK and Europe.
