Contract impasse remains as England tour looms

• Players say lack of transparency is the underlying cause for dispute

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

With the Sri Lanka team due to embark on another cricket tour – on this occasion to England on 8 June – the deadlock on the player contracts remains unresolved, with the players reiterating to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), it is the lack of transparency that is the underlying cause for the dispute.

It is largely not the SLC office-bearers who were elected to office on 20 May who are responsible for the stalemate, but the Cricket Development and Technical Advisory Committee appointed by the Sports Minister and headed by former Sri Lanka cricketer Aravinda de Silva, who, along with the national selection committee, the head coach and the Director of Cricket Tom Moody, formulated the new performance-based model for the player contracts.  

The players, in a letter through their lawyer Nishan Premathiratne, have stated: “At the very outset, the players re-iterate their previous position that they are in principle agreeable to the performance-based model and confirm that such was never in issue or made an issue in any form or manner. However unfortunately, the dispute in respect of the players’ contracts has been incorrectly made out to resemble an exclusive issue in respect of payments and perks, which is wrong.

“The issue which the players assert is, simply put ‘TRANSPARENCY’. For close to a month now, the players have been continuously requesting for transparency, but such has not been provided. Presently, the players have been graded and categorised and such has been publicised.

“However, the most pertinent matter, which is yet to be disclosed to the players, is the issue of points awarded for each player in respect of performance, for fitness, and for the other categories, which have been identified in this new performance-based model. These categories of assessment, which have been introduced to this performance-based model, require independent marks to be allotted in respect of each category for each player.”

The release further states:

“In these circumstances,

What merit is found in this entire performance-based system, if there is no transparency when globally, transparency stems from the very top of the cricket administration in respect of all matters, including payments and earnings; and

Where a non-transparent system can be manipulated by any party, such could also lead to favouration and personal preferences.

“Solely on this ground, the players find the contracts to be unfair, unreasonable and arbitrary and thus, the players urge for transparency. In the event, even after the lapse of a month, if these points are disclosed to players, and such have been awarded within accepted, reasonable parameters which is satisfactory to any reasonable observer (in consideration of performances during the specified period), the players have no reason to object to the contracts.

“Nonetheless, the players have clearly, from the very outset of this dispute, set out in no uncertain terms, that they will be fully available to play for Sri Lanka at any and all times, where their priority is their duty towards the nation. However, the players refuse to sign unfair contracts without transparency.”

The deadline given for the players to sign their contracts is 3 June, and the way the deadlock stands at present, it is highly unlikely they will meet the deadline before they go on the tour to England.

In those circumstances, the tour party of 24 players picked for the England tour are most likely to sign a tour contract, just as they did for the recently concluded tour to Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka are due to play a series of three T20Is and three ODIs against England from 23 June to 8 July.