Cricket: Dilshan delayed for Knights' Twenty20 start

Northern Districts' much-trumpeted import Tillekaratne Dilshan is out of the first two weeks of the domestic Twenty20 championship.

Northern scored a coup when they signed the Sri Lankan blaster back in July for the HRV Cup competition, which begins in Mount Maunganui on January 2.

But a clash in dates between the Twenty20 Cup, which runs until January 31, and a hastily-arranged tri-series tournament in Bangladesh between the hosts, India and Sri Lanka means Dilshan is now not available for up to five of the Knights' nine round-robin games.

Northern Districts chief executive David Cooper yesterday confirmed Dilshan's arrival had been pushed back from late next week until January 15 at the earliest.

"We're disappointed he's not here for the entire HRV Cup like we'd planned," Cooper said, "but that's not a reaction to him personally, more the way he's playing at the moment.

"He would have been of huge value to us for the full 10 rounds."

Dilshan was the highest runs scorer at the Twenty20 World Cup in England, averaging 52 runs an innings at a strike rate of 144, and has been in irrepressible form for Sri Lanka in the one-day series in India, with scores of 160, 123 and 41 in the first three matches.

Cooper hasn't been able to contact the Sri Lanka-based player agent handling Dilshan's travel arrangements to confirm the new arrival date but expected it would be on or around January 15.

Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka organised the tri-series after the Knights had contracted Dilshan and he would now be paid on a pro-rata basis depending on how many games he played in New Zealand.

"I think there were a few Sri Lankans due to play in the Australian [Twenty20] competition too and I understand they're not overly pleased that this [tri-series] has been thrown on them."

With the tri-series round-robin concluding on January 11 and the final, which is likely to feature Sri Lanka and India, two days later, Cooper said they were trying to get Dilshan here in time for the Knights' January 15 clash with Wellington at Mount Maunganui.

"We're pushing for the 15th - if not then, definitely the 17th. If we can get him on a flight the night of the final, and from Auckland to Tauranga on the 15th, then I expect he could front."

The double round-robin format to be played through January will feature New Zealand's best cricketers with the lure of a spot in the rich Champions League in India acting as the big financial incentive. There will be live television coverage of one game in each round.

Northern had decided against bringing in an overseas replacement for Dilshan.

"Grant Bradburn [Northern Districts coach] and I talked about it and looked at two players quite seriously ... but felt our team was travelling well enough right now, with guys starting to come right in terms of batting.

"Daniel [Vettori] joins us for the Twenty20 and has traditionally opened the batting for us in the shorter form of the game, and BJ Watling and Daniel Flynn are back. We felt we had enough firepower for the time being.

"It's disappointing fans won't get to see someone of [Dilshan's] calibre right through the competition but hopefully when he comes he'll add some impetus towards the final."

- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES