Muttiah Muralitharan slams senior cricketers over contract dispute

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan has slammed former skipper Angelo Mathews along with three other senior cricketers over a longstanding contract dispute between the players and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

The cricketers decided not to sign the contracts after returning from the tour of England. Muralitharan believes it was triggered by senior cricketers who got less pay under the new performance-based system.

Speaking to Hiru TV, Muttiah Muralitharan said:

“This year we think they don’t need a central contract, we can go with tour contracts."

Angelo Mathews has requested Sri Lanka Cricket to relieve him from National Duties, owing to personal reasonsHe will not be a part of the upcoming #SLvIND white-ball series pic.twitter.com/R632gwcHNJ

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 7, 2021

Several senior cricketers who are no longer a part of the white-ball set-up are now without deals after the cricket board decided to withdraw offers of annual contracts.

The cricketers will not get central contracts anymore: Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, believes the likes of Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera did not allow the young cricketers to sign the contract because of their own benefits.

The 49-year-old feels now that the cricketers have not accepted the offers, they won't get central contracts and will have to play on tour contracts. Incidentally, the cricketers have signed the tour contracts for the upcoming limited-overs series against India, which starts on July 18 (Sunday).

#SLvIND pic.twitter.com/LQSJT5tDmM

— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) July 12, 2021

India-Sri Lanka series postponed until July 18

After Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower, data analyst GT Niroshan and cricketer Sandun Weerakkody tested positive for COVID-19, the SLC and BCCI decided to postpone the limited-overs series, which was due to start on July 13.

The ODIs will now take place on July 18, 20 and 23 while the T20Is are scheduled for July 25, 27 and 29.

The latest statement from the SLC confirmed that the ODI games will now begin at 3:00 pm instead of the original 2:30 pm, while the T20Is will begin at 8:00 pm, an hour after the initial 7:00 pm schedule.