Lanka contract row: Players urge SLC to not hold them at 'gunpoint', want cordial dialogue

Colombo [Sri Lanka], May 21 : Sri Lanka cricketers have refused to sign new contracts offered by the apex body as they feel some players have been given unfair deals.
The Islanders, who do not want to be held at the "gunpoint" to accept the offered contracts, have claimed the new deal sees fees paid to specific cricketers in a one-sided manner.
According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Niroshan Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva have been given the most lucrative deals while veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews has been offered a contract worth $80,000 which is $50,000 less than his base salary from last year.
Also, Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne's annual fee fell from roughly $100,000 to $70,000.
"The players also believe that the provincial tournaments have been played on an ad hoc and on-and-off basis which is also a contributing factor. The players are not in agreement to sign unfair and non-transparent contracts and urge SLC to not hold the players at gunpoint," lawyer Nishan Sydney Premathiratne, representing top Lanka players, said in a statement.
Unlike in other nations when disputes arise and result in players seeking other avenues by way of franchise cricket, the Sri Lankan players will continue to be readily available to play and be selected for Sri Lanka, it added.
"Going forward, the players urge the SLC and the administrators to work on building the trust of the players, to be transparent in all matters and to fully address the concerns of players with a view to resolving the present dispute," he added.
Shammi Silva on Thursday was elected uncontested as the President of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for the 2021 to 2023 period.
"The players, while extending their warmest wishes to the newly-elected President of Sri Lanka Cricket, are confident that cordial dialogue could commence, to resolve these concerns at the earliest opportunity," said the lawyer's statement.
According to FICA (Federation of International Cricketers' Association), the new remuneration intimated to Sri Lankan players is substantially lower (more than threefold lower) in comparison with other global cricketing nations.
"FICA also confirms that the sums paid by ICC to cricketing boards has not reduced during the last year nor has a reduction been forecasted for the following year," read a statement.
Furthermore, FICA also confirmed that players are allotted a certain percentage from the respective Board's earnings in most other global jurisdictions, and such disclosures as to Board Earnings are made to the players and the respective player association.
However, SLC director of cricket Tom Moody has said the new deal went through a thorough review before being put on the table for the Lanka cricketers.
"A thorough review of what was being practiced around the world was taken into consideration. A lot of countries are trying to find what is the right process for them. This was not pulled out of thin air," ESPNcricinfo quoted Moody as saying.
"This was done after thorough research - looking at other countries and their examples of how they contract their players. We put together what we thought was the best, most effective and fair system for Sri Lanka," he added.
FICA also said that unlike in other global jurisdictions, players are provided with pension schemes in together jurisdictions, However, no such pension scheme has been set up in Sri Lanka.