New Delhi: Sri Lankan cricket was tottering on the verge of a crisis that threatened to match the rebel tours to South Africa, according to media reports in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene, former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan were among the top players who were scheduled to meet the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) interim committee and the Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge at the Sports Ministry on Saturday for a final rounds of talks to arrive at a compromise over scheduling clash between the IPL and a Sri Lanka team tour to England next year.

However the players who met the minister and the SLC officials in an earlier round of discussions earlier this week, had refused to attend the meeting, and had instead sent Sri Lanka Cricketers Union representative Graeme Labrooy to meet the minister and hand over a letter outlining their stance on the matter in no uncertain terms.

"I cannot comment on the matter. Graeme went and met the minister today. We will sit down tomorrow to discuss the issue and will announce our decision" said Jayawardene on Friday.