MOHALI, Oct 19: The International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat said there was still time to resolve the dispute over Sri Lanka’s tour of England next May.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has proposed a $70 million package to boost Sri Lankan cricket over the next decade – in exchange for their players being available to play in the officially sanctioned Indian Premier League instead.

Lorgat said there was “ongoing discussion” over the status of the England tour and he reaffirmed the commitment of leading cricket boards to Test cricket over Twenty20 tournaments.

“They will continue to sort out and find some way forward,” Lorgat said of England and Sri Lanka.

“It’s a factual position that all the member boards respect the primacy of Test cricket. What we are seeing is the challenge between the way players want to be in terms of their earnings, the potential to earn the most while they have a window in their own careers.”

Lorgat, who was part of the ICC board meeting in Dubai this week, said the position of the Sri Lanka cricket board was clear.

“They want to see their team tour England,” he said. “Equally the England cricket board is keen to see it go ahead.”

The Sri Lanka players were initially told they were free to play in the IPL in 2009 and 2010, but the board accepted an invitation by England to replace Zimbabwe next May.

The move would prevent many of the 13 Sri Lankans who signed IPL contracts from gaining lucrative appearance fees as the tournament is staged at the same time.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said in August the players wanted to appear in the IPL for financial security.

Lorgat said a ‘window’ for the IPL event, which would allow players to switch between international and Twenty20 duties, had not been discussed by the ICC.

“We are waiting to see how it all unfolds,” he said.—AP