18 Sri Lankan players sign national contracts, Angelo Mathews not in list
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced that 18 cricketers have signed the National Player Contracts, which came into effect from August 1 this year.
Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera are among the players who have signed the contracts. Veteran Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews was not considered since he is currently unavailable for selection.
Sri Lankan cricket found itself at the centre of a major controversy earlier this year after a number of players refused to sign new contracts, which offered performance-based incentives.
The protesting cricketers had alleged that the SLC did not brief them properly over the new pay system and was trying to force them to sign the contracts. During the impasse, Sri Lankan players were offered tour contracts.
Through a media release on Friday, SLC revealed that the new contracts will be for a period of five months and will end on December 31, 2021. The release read:
“The players signed the contracts without any deviation from the contracts offered previously, which was formulated by Sri Lanka Cricket along with the Technical Advisory Committee.”
The board informed that the Sri Lanka cricketers were picked under four categories and were nominated by the selection panel based on a set of criteria - Performance, Fitness, Leadership/Seniority, Professionalism/Code of Conduct, and Future/Adaptability.
The SLC also clarified that there was complete transparency in the process. It stated that the criteria as well as the allocation of points to players were shared with the cricketers before they signed the contracts.
Apart from Mathews, Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis are also without a contract. The three Sri Lankan cricketers are serving bans for breaching bio-bubble protocols during the tour of England.
Isuru Udana too isn’t part of the contracted players as he recently announced his retirement from international cricket.
List of Sri Lankan players who were given national contracts
Dhananjaya De Silva
Kusal Perera
Dimuth Karunaratne
Suranga Lakmal
Dasun Shanaka
Wanindu Hasaranga
Lasith Embuldeniya
Pathum Nissanka
Lahiru Thirimanne
Dushmantha Chameera
Dinesh Chandimal
Lakshan Sandakan
Vishwa Fernando
Oshada Fernando
Ramesh Mendis
Lahiru Kumara
Ashen Bandara
Akila Dananjaya
Sri Lankan cricket is going through a tough rebuilding phase at the moment. They lost both the ODI and the T20I series in England. There was some respite for the Lankans as they defeated a weak Indian team 2-1 at home in a recent T20I series.
Sri Lanka will next host South Africa for three ODIs and three T20Is in September ahead of the T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman.