Confusion about Cricket players signing agreement saying money and privileges not sufficient
The agreement for the new year contract to be signed between the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and the National Cricket Pool appears to be getting delayed day after day. The underlying main reason for the delay is the decrease in the contract payment this time in comparison to last year, it is reported.
The 30 players in the said pool have been separated into 5 categories and the players under the first
category are to be paid an annual sum of 125,000 American dollars as contract fee and the relevant agreement has been drafted in that manner, it is understood. This actually is a slash of about $ 40,000 than the previous year. In the same way, with deductions, an annual contract payment of $ 80,000 upto 20,000 has been proposed to be paid to the other 4 categories. However a strong protest has been voiced by the players over the reduction of contract fees to be given in this manner, it is reported. While a fresh method of special allowance in accordance with skills displayed by a player has been introduced by this new scheme, protests have been brought forward in connection with the manner of how the players have been nominated in this case, it is learned.According to information available it is only Angelo Matthews, Dinesh Chandimal and Rangana Herath who have been admitted to the topmost group. The three of them in fact have had a special discussion last evening with the Chief Administrative Officer Ashley de Silva. Further, on the other hand some other conditions too have been enforced through this new agreement. Among those conditions are that the privilege where a free Business Class air ticket was made available to a player's wife on previous occasions, has now been withheld. The opportunity of a player's children being permitted to escort him during the course of a tour too is slashed, it is understood. However, members of a player's family are afforded free air tickets once an year in the case of an Asian tour.
It has come to be known that in view of the forthcoming Zimbabwe Cricket Tour with the players being scheduled to leave on Tuesday 25th, it has been decided that the relevant players are expected to sign the contract prior to Sunday 23rd. Whatever it is, a special discussion is expected to be held tomorrow (20) between the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and the 30 players who are in the pool to arrive at a conclusive decision in this context, it is learned.
Sirinama Rajapaksa