All 24 Sri Lankan Cricketers Refuse to Sign New Central Contracts

Sri Lankan cricketers have refused to sign the central contracts offered by the Lankan cricket board.

(Photo: SLC Twitter)

In a deepening crisis in Sri Lankan cricket, all 24 cricketers, who had been offered new contracts by their country's cricket board, have refused to sign on the dotted line citing "lack of transparency in the manner in which the contract categories have been allocated".

In the statement issued on behalf of the cricketers, attorney Nishan Sydney Premathiratne said the players are "not in agreement to sign unfair and non-transparent contracts and urge SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) to not hold the players at gunpoint or give the players such ultimatums".

The players have been given until June 3 to sign the contracts, according to espncricinfo.com

The cricketers are seeking transparency on the new system implemented by SLC, which reportedly gives 50 per cent weightage to performance since 2019, 20 per cent to player fitness, and 10 per cent each to leadership, professionalism, and future potential and adaptability.

The players say that they have no idea how much they have scored on each count and that their scores should be revealed to them.

"Despite the players' requests from the Management Committee for information regarding the manner in which points were allocated in respect of the categorisation, 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.

Besides, the statement also says that the remunerations being offered by SLC are "more than threefold lower" than the sums paid to players of boards that are financially comparable to SLC.

The Sri Lankan team is currently in Dhaka to play a three-match one-day series, starting May 23.