29 players sign tour contract ahead of India series - SLC

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) today announced that 29 players, out of the 30 members nominated by the Cricket Selectors to be considered for the White-Ball Series against India, have signed the Tour Contract.

Former captain Angelo Mathews, who was included in the respective 30-member squad, has requested Sri Lanka Cricket to relieve him from national duties, owing to personal reasons, until further notice. 

Sri Lanka and India are due to battle 3-match ODI series and 3-match T20I series from July 13 to July 25 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo.

The long-drawn-out tussle between the national players and the SLC over the annual contracts was to be resolved after the England tour.

They initially refused to sign both annual and tour contracts until the pay dispute is resolved, citing lack of transparency of the rating system devised by the cricket board. However, the players later agreed to sign the tour declaration ahead of the England series.

They stated that the ratings system used for gradation lacks clarity and that the compensation they are offered is inadequate.

Sri Lanka Cricket, in May, had announced a five-point grading system to offer retainer packages for its contracted cricketers including the parameters of Performance (out of 50), Fitness (out of 20), Leadership (out of 10), Professionalism (out of 10) and Future Potential and Adaptability (out of 10) for a score out of 10.

Players were slotted into four grades A, B, C, D with each grade further divided into three sub-categories bearing different retainer values.

When the new pay plan was unveiled last month, players said it was “non-transparent” and urged Sri Lanka Cricket to not hold them at gunpoint.

Players were also anguished that their proposed salaries were disclosed to the public by the board, in violation of confidentiality.

-With Agencies Inputs