Sri Lanka National Cricket players have vehemently condemned the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) management Committee’s decision to publicly reveal the specific payment details of contract fees paid to players.
Attorney-at-Law Nishan Sydney Premathiratne, the official representative appointed bymembers of the Sri Lanka Cricket team had issued a press statement to this effect.
Premathiratne had issued this statement on behalf of following cricketers: DimuthKarunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Suranga Lakmal, KusaI Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya De Silva, NiroshanDickwella, Kusal Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lasith Embuldeniya, Pathum Nissanka, LahiruThirimanne, Dushmantha Chameera, KasunRajitha, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Oshada Fernando, Ramesh Mendis, Lahiru Kumara, DanushkaGunathillaka, Ashen Bandara and AkilaDhananjaya.
It states that the players were shocked and dismayed following the management Committee’s decision to reveal these details without placing the same in the context of earnings of players in other cricketing nations, the entire earnings of the Sri Lanka Cricket and also without disclosingthe payments made to the officials, coaches and support staff of the SLC.
It isalso a worrying state of affairs when an organization embarksto effect such disclosures and attempts to do so solely in respect of one segment of its carder. The players categorically state that the conduct of the management Committee of SLC greatly concerns the players and has affected their self-confidence and peace of mind. Furthermore, these disclosures in respect of payment amount to a grave security concernto each and every player, the press statement added.
The press statement further stated that all national players, in unison, are of the view thatthe players should be made aware of the assessment scores of each player in order to ensure transparency of the categorization process.
The SLC has in the past paid local and foreign coaches significant sums of money(salaries of approximately over7 MillionRupees per month) and all those facts have to be placed in context when attempting to highlight and portray payments to be made to Sri Lankan cricketers.
Theplayers concede that Sri Lanka has droppedin international rankings inthe past few years, but refuse to take the entirety of blame, as such cannot be attributed exclusively to theplayers, when the administration and allstakeholders are also involved in the game. Decisions taken to scrap the SLPL in 2012 until last year when the SLPL was recommenced as well as the number of clubs in SriLanka being doubled to 24 from the initial number of 12 have all contributed. The players also believe that the provincial tournaments have been played in an ad hoc, on-and-off basis which is also a contributing factor.
Meanwhile, national players informed that they are extending their warmest wishes to the newly-electedPresident of Sri Lanka Cricket and they are confident that cordial dialogue could commence, to resolve these concerns at the earliest opportunity.
