Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has rejected the Board of Control for Cricket in India's claim that the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) is a private-party organised tournament.
In a statement, the SLC said that the SLPL is owned and approved by it, and therefore, automatically by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
It further said that the Singapore-based Somerset Ventures only owns the commercial rights to the tournament.
The SLC rejoinder came a day after the BCCI had said it would not allow any Indian player to participate in the tournament on grounds that it was a privately-run event.
"This tournament is approved by SLC. And Somerset are the marketing arm, having won the rights through a tender process. Nobody can say it is owned by Somerset," ESPNcricinfo quoted SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, as saying on Sunday.
Ranatunga said that Somerset Ventures is responsible for the logistics and marketing of the tournament, a role similar to the one IMG plays for the IPL.
But unlike in the IPL where the teams are owned by private franchises, it is the SLC that owns the seven teams in the tournament and will determine which players are assigned to which teams, thereby giving them a substantial degree of control over the event.
The BCCI had initially stated it had no problems with the proposed league and that Indian players were free to take part, as long as there was no conflict with India's international or domestic schedule.
However, it backtracked on Saturday by refusing to give no objection certificates to the 12 Indian cricketers who were signed up for participation in the SLPL.
That sudden volte face has left SLC "surprised and hurt", Ranatunga said, and the board will be meeting on Monday to discuss how to tackle the situation.
He added: "We need to explain the matter to the BCCI and whatever the concerns that they have, we need to give them an explanation. It is very important to have them [Indian players] as they add a lot of value and glamour to the tournament."
However, when asked whether he was hopeful a solution could be found, Ranatunga said, "I really don't know. We will have to wait and see."
The SLPL will be played between July 19 and August 4 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
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