Sri Lankan players refuse to leave for England until their demands are met

After a lot of deliberation and negotiations, Sri Lankan players are all set to leave the country to tour England for a limited-overs series starting June 23. The players, though, have only signed a voluntary declaration form after the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials failed to negotiate to make the players sign a new performance-based annual contract for the tour on Monday, June 7.

Apparently, the 28 players were called at the hotel Taj Samudra by SLC officials and they were desperately trying to make the last-minute deal work. However, the players were not ready to budge and even refused to tour, sign the contract, and wear the jerseys with the sponsors’ logos for the white-ball series.

The ongoing tussle between SLC and its players is going on for the past two weeks where the Lankan players felt the salary being given is was too less. The players had hired a lawyer, but the decision to increase the salary of the players was not taken by SLC due to its teams’ poor performances.

“They wanted certain clauses included in the tour contract as well as certain changes made in the declaration form to which we refused, they were then given an ultimatum till 3:00 p.m.” an SLC source said, as reported by DailyFT.

Sri Lanka Cricket officials and players at loggerheads

“The players finally agreed to sign the voluntary declaration form after it was promised to give them a separate letter to say that on their return from England, the evaluations will be submitted to them individually as to which was their main grouse over the newly drawn up contracts.”

The issue at this moment has been closed but Nishan Premathiratne, the lawyer who is representing the players, has stated that the players seek transparency and a written undertaking will be given in the declaration.

“We have disclosed the clause for transparency, that at the point of arrival, the points should be disclosed to the players after returning (from UK), and the guarantee of that undertaking to be given in the declaration. And in the event that there is an issue, for a new model to be looked at purely on performance and fitness,” said Nishan Premathiratne.