Sri Lanka Cricket – SLC Player Contracts Dispute: Sri Lanka Cricket & the players contract dispute has taken an ugly turn. The Sri Lanka team is due to embark on tour to England on 8th June but players in a stern message to SLC on Tuesday late night have ‘refused to sign contracts’ ahead of 3rd June deadline citing lack of transparency.
“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.
“the players find the contracts to be unfair, unreasonable and arbitrary and thus the players urge for transparency & THE PLAYERS REFUSE TO SIGN UNFAIR CONTRACTS WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY !!!”
Sri Lanka Cricket: Players send very strong message to SLC, ‘without transparency, we will not sign unfair 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”
It is worth noting that Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry had appointed Cricket Development and Technical Advisory Committee under the leadership of 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.
Also Read: SLC Player Contracts: Dhananjaya de Silva, Dickwella receive A1 contract; Mathews in A2
SLC had set a deadline of 3rd June for the players to sign on the dotted line. But instead, legal and official representatives appointed by 24 members of the Sri Lanka Cricket team has issued a press release on behalf of Sri Lankan Cricketers ahead of the deadline.
Sri Lanka Cricket – Players Refuse to Sign Contracts:
Full Statement by Sri Lanka Cricketers
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 categorized and such has been publicized.
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.
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 !!!
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