No IPL matches in Sri Lanka

CRICKET: CHENNAI, India, Jan 7 (AFP) - The Indian Premier League released its 2012 tournament schedule on Friday, confirming that no matches will be played in Sri Lanka despite a request from the island's cricket authorities.

Upali Dharmadasa, the new president of Sri Lanka Cricket, said earlier this week that he had asked the Indian board to hold some IPL matches on the island to raise money for his financially strapped organisation. But no Sri Lankan city features in the 76-match schedule of this year's Twenty20 event, which will run from April 4 to May 27 at 11 venues.

The venues for 72 league matches will be Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bangalore, Vishakapatnam, Pune, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mohali and Dharamshala.Cuttack has been named a stand-by ground.

The league phase will be followed by play-offs among the top four sides in Bangalore and Chennai, with the final in Chennai on May 27.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which owns the IPL, did not say why Sri Lanka's request was rejected. Sri Lanka Cricket has debts of around $70 million after building two new stadiums in Pallekele and Hambantota and renovating the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo for the World Cup last year.