The Lanka Premier League (LPL) has emerged as a significant force in the cricketing landscape since the former Trinity and SSC fast bowler, Samantha Dodanwela took over as the Tournament Director two years ago. Under his direction, the LPL has experienced growth despite facing challenges, and set ambitious plans for the future.
Dodanwela’s vision encompasses not only the development of cricket but also the fusion of sports and business, making LPL a premier sports and business venture.
In an interview, the former Trinity, Kandy CC, SSC and Sri Lanka ‘A’ fast bowler delves into the journey of LPL, its future plans, comparisons with other foreign leagues, strategies to attract top players, and the intricate balance between business and sports.
“I think sports and business have a lot in common in terms of everything: the recognition, the motivation, being transparent, all that. Our main intention is to see whoever comes in as owners to remain with us. At the moment, the biggest challenge that we have is the local corporates are not coming forward. We would like to see local blue chip companies coming to support. We have been getting inquiries from all over the world. LPL is known now,” said Dodanwela, Managing Director of Mercantile Produce Brokers, one of the leading tea brokering companies in the country.
“When we started in 2000, we had many difficulties. However, when the entire country and world was shut down due to the covid pandemic, we somehow in a secure environment conducted the LPL. That should not be forgotten,” he said, reflecting on the growth of LPL.
Despite adversities, LPL managed to conduct successful tournaments, earning recognition globally. However, the LPL encountered hurdles such as economic crises and currency shortages, impacting player commitments and sponsor confidence.
Having taken over as tournament director everything was going according to plan in 2022 but the pandemic was followed by the forex crisis. “We were planning to play in July-August. There were a lot of sponsors. Unfortunately, the country had this economic crisis and we had to postpone the event to December,” he said.
“Most of the top overseas players who were confirmed, backed out because they have committed for other leagues in December Even the sponsors who came were scared because when they saw the situation in the country,” he pointed out as all their plans went out of the window.
The silver lining amid the gloom emerged in 2023. “I would say it was one of the best years that we ever had in terms of quality of players, quality of cricket, the spectators and the fan base. Actually, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and I personally always want to see the crowd coming. No event will be successful without an audience,” he pointed out.
“Last year we saw that. When we went to Kandy, we saw people coming in numbers with the stadium at Pallekele being a packed house. When we came to Colombo for the final stage, there were huge crowds. I would say the final and the game before that, the stadium was packed to the maximum. I think this year it should be even better,” he said brimming with optimism.
Dodanwela emphasised the importance of attracting international talent to enhance the league’s stature. While acknowledging the allure of marquee players, he stresses the significance of performance and contribution to the league’s growth.
“It’s important that we bring some good top international players. But having said that, I’m not trying to follow any other league. We have to have our own thing. You take the growth of the IPL. Most of the top players who came didn’t do much, except for a few people. It was some of the local or overseas unheard players who came and performed extremely well. I think it’s not the name, how you come and perform, how you contribute to the team,” observed Dodanwela who was a member of the 18-man national squad for the Singer World Series in Colombo in 1996.
“I can’t just bring some famous player who Is good for promotions, will be flashy. But he will not give you 100 percent because basically they have earned everything. They are just coming and playing to be in the system. But you bring a youngster who has been doing well in franchise cricket, they will always come here to prove a point. So that’s how I look at it,” he noted, aiming to strike a balance between star power and emerging talent, focusing on players who bring value beyond their reputation.
LPL aims to tap into regional talent pools, including countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Dodanwela is keen to support associate countries like Nepal, UAE, Malaysia, Oman, and Japan, envisioning broader participation and viewership.
“We can get players from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh other than England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. I personally believe that we should try and support the associate countries like Malaysia, UAE, Japan, Uganda and Hong Kong. To get at least one player involved in the system. By doing that, we are supporting them to improve their cricket. And also, our viewer percentage will also go up. Just imagine one player from Nepal coming and playing. People will start watching this league. Japan is very keen. I think moving forward, that’s my intention and we are trying to do that,” said Dodanwela who played league cricket in the UK for a couple of seasons.
Dodanwela stressed the importance of creating a distinct identity for LPL, rather than emulating other leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL). While acknowledging IPL’s success, LPL focuses on leveraging its unique brand and fostering innovation. Financial competitiveness is crucial for LPL’s sustainability, with efforts underway to attract sponsors and investors, both locally and internationally.
“As I always said, SLC, we have a brand. We have to promote our brand. We should not look at what others do. As a journalist, you might ask, ‘why don’t you introduce what IPL did?’ I will not do that. We should create our own identity,” he asserted.
“This is the fifth year. People are watching this league. And I am happy to say that, overall, in the world, LPL is known now. People have started talking about it. I think all these things changed after we decided to have this player auction. Last year we were the second country in the world to televise the player auction. It created a lot of hype going towards the tournament. Those are the positives,” he noted.
“In the future, a lot of investors will try to come and invest. And it is televised as well. This year for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka cricket, we showed a player auction live to the globe. I think it is all moving the way that we want,” he said.
Despite logistical challenges, LPL aims to create a vibrant ecosystem conducive to healthy competition and fan engagement.
Cricket has become the religion of most people in this country after winning the World Cup in 1996 and in 2014 most people have started playing the game and now the LPL had brought new thinking to the game, even to the grassroots level.
Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Theesan Vithushan came from Jaffna. Jaffna have started playing good cricket. I have a couple of girls who play for SSC from Jaffna. This is being spread to all over the country, not only in Colombo, Kandy, Dambulla and Kurunegala. People are asking for a team from the East. That means, they are very keen to get involved in cricket,” he said.
LPL prioritises professional development, ensuring high standards in coaching and support staff.
Samantha, speaking further, said that It's very important when we run a league like this to be professional. “So we have put various systems in place. When we pick support staff, we make sure that we get them from the High Performance Centre. We give about four slots to the owners to fill. The balance is filled by SLC at the High Performance Centre. We are encouraging people, coaches and other support staff to be with the system and go to HPC,” he said.
Discussing expansion plans, including adding more teams and hosting matches in diverse regions, Dodanwela said: “Our main issue is because of the FTP (Future Tour Programmes), I have a window of only 21 days. If I go for another team, I need at least 28 or 30 days. That has been discussed with SLC. We are trying, but this year we can’t do that because we have bilateral tours. India is coming, then we are going to England. Next year, we are trying to see whether we could add.”
By nurturing grassroots cricket, LPL aims to inspire future generations and expand its fan base. “It’s good to go and play in their own venues. Now we have Colombo, Dambulla, Kandy, but Jaffna we don’t have. If we can have venues there also we can play home and away to create friendly rivalry,” he added.
As LPL continues its journey of growth and transformation, Dodanwela’s leadership plays a pivotal role in shaping its future.
(MS)