Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

“SLC gets all that income because of the cricket the players play”

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the national team have become involved in a contract dispute for the third consecutive year.

Sri Lanka’s national cricketers have rejected the new central contracts prepared by SLC since the board is refusing the share the income they receive from International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments with the players.

Prior to March 2013, the national team were given 25 per cent of the revenue SLC made from ICC events.

The players have already sent a letter to chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, which lists their demands.

“I could not hand over the letter to SLC but I very clearly informed all officials and CEO Ashley de Silva of the players’ wishes,” Jayasuriya told Daily Mirror. “After all SLC gets all that income because of the cricket the players play.”

However, SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga is not budging from his view that the board deserves to keep all the revenue they make from ICC events.

“The players in the top category of contracts will earn more than 55 million rupees [approx. US $425,000] within the next year on contract fee and match fee alone,” Ranatunga said. “If that is not enough, I believe they should pursue something else than playing cricket. In addition to the contract and match fees mentioned above, they also get prize money and winning bonuses.

“We are also paying their insurance, we look after their practice and training facilities and infrastructure, we provide them coaches, physiotherapists, trainers, masseurs. We have also given them a performance-based pay increase, which came to 7% this year.

“Even the last time, the executive committee was not in favour of the demand by players. Last year we have paid 58% of SLC income to the players. So, it is obviously very difficult to consider such a payment.”