Sri Lanka Cricket says almost all the players who were short-listed for the forthcoming limited-overs India series beginning July 13 have signed the tour contract for the series. Sri Lanka recently toured England without a contract as the turmoil between the board and the players continued.
Sri Lanka cricketers and their cricket board have been at loggerheads since the month of May surrounding the players’ contracts. The players reckoned that the new contract isn’t transparent enough and the senior players felt that it rewards future potential rather than experience and performance. The cricketers protested against SLC through a statement.
Sri Lanka Cricketers Signed Contracts After They Toured England Without A Contract
In the meantime, as per reports, 25 Sri Lanka cricketers have signed contracts before their bilateral home series against India. The tour gets underway on July 13 with all the three ODIs and as many T20Is to be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Sri Lanka recently toured England without a contract as the turmoil between the board and the players continued. Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Kumara, Vishwa Fernando, Ashen Bandara, and Kasun Rajitha were left out of the residential camp, which started on June 25.
The five players didn’t travel to the United Kingdom for the ODI and T20I series. They were among the players to be offered national contracts. SLC CEO Ashley de Silva updated on the players’ participation in the series against Shikhar Dhawan’s India.
“The impasse relating to contracts is over after 30 shortlisted for India series including those who toured England signed tour contracts making themselves available for series. Would be interesting to see what happens from now on. Some promising young players may have burned bridges.” Sports Journalist Rex Clementine said.
It’s not clear yet whether senior cricketers Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne were offered the tour contract for the India series. Test players not shortlisted for the India limited-overs series were not offered the tour contracts.
Sri Lankan Cricketers To Head Straight Into A Bio Bubble After Landing Back From England Where Outbreak Of Covid-19 Happened Among England Players And Staff
Sri Lankan cricketers will head straight into a bio-bubble ahead of their limited-overs series against India after landing back from England, where the players they competed against have been quarantined following a COVID-19 outbreak in the team.
A fifth straight Twenty20 series defeat in England was followed by two one-day international losses with only rain in Monday’s final match-saving them from a complete tour whitewash. Off the field things were just as bad with three players — vice-captain Kusal Mendis, opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka and wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella — sent home for breaching the team’s coronavirus bubble.