Sri Lanka Cricket gives June 3 deadline to revolting players to sign contracts: Report

The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board has given a June 3 deadline to the revolting players to sign new contracts. Failure to comply with the deadline would force the SLC to put players on tour contracts, which would mean specific contracts for each tour.

As many as 24 players have refused to sign new contracts as per which players’ base salaries have been reduced, while perform-based incentives have been introduced.

As per the contract system, players have been evaluated on five factors - performance, fitness, leadership, professionalism, and future potential and adaptability.

According to a Sunday Times report, the protesting Sri Lankan players have been asked to sign new contracts by June 3. The report further stated:

“The performance during the last two years carries 50 points while 20 points are given for fitness. The other three attributes carry ten marks each. The allocation was done by the coach, the three selectors and the physical performance manager. The information is restricted to those involved in the grading process. But players unhappy about how they were slotted believe they have a right to know every detail of how their points were tabulated.”

A few days back, the 24 revolting players released a statement through Nishan Sydney Premathiratne, Attorney-at-Law, refusing to sign the contracts as they had not been given details of their assessment.

“During negotiations in respect of these Annual Contracts with SLC, it has always been the position of the players that they, in principle, are agreeable to a proper, transparent performance-based model, where each player would be assessed and categorised on attributes of performance. However, none of the players have been provided with their individual assessment sheets setting out how points were awarded under the criteria of performance, fitness, leadership and professionalism,” the statement read.

An amazing 74 from 60 balls by Wanindu Hasaranga isn't quite enough for Sri Lanka, but what an innings! 🙌#BANvSL pic.twitter.com/vN0jWnveIa

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) May 23, 2021

Sri Lankan players not in agreement to sign “unfair and non-transparent contracts”

Through the same statement, the aggrieved Sri Lankan players alleged that the SLC hurriedly attempted to get the signatures of the cricketers on the contracts hours before they were to depart for Bangladesh for the ODI series.

The statement added that the players would not sign any unfair and non-transparent contracts. Sri Lankan players claimed:

“The Management Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, in an unreasonable hurry, attempted to place hard copies of the Annual Contracts before the players to obtain their signature a few hours before the players were to depart to Bangladesh for the ODI series…”

“The players are NOT in agreement to sign unfair and non-transparent contracts and urge SLC to not hold the players at gunpoint or give the players such ultimatums,” the statement added.

Bangladesh win the first ODI by 33 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.#BANvSL pic.twitter.com/5NIRK3y9lC

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) May 23, 2021

Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka by 33 runs in the first ODI of the three-match series in Dhaka.

The match went ahead as per schedule after two of the three members of the Sri Lanka contingent, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday night, returned negative tests on Sunday.