Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and its players have agreed in
principle to the terms of the central contracts for the next year, bringing to
an end almost five months of negotiations and avoiding a potential stand-off
over Sri Lanka's top players participating in the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier
League (SLPL).
The new contracts, which will run from March 1, 2012 to
February 28, 2013, will bear the existing retainer and match fees, ESPNcricinfo
understands.
On Monday, Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lanka captain, had
said the country's cricketers might decide against taking part in the SLPL if
the Sri Lankan board didn't "settle" the players' central contracts.
The agreement between the two sides means the players no longer have any
objections to taking part in the Twenty20 tournament.
"Player contracts will be signed tomorrow or the day
after," Nishanta Ranatunga, the SLC secretary, told ESPNcricinfo on
Tuesday. "It has been agreed upon by the players and the board." Sri
Lanka host India for five ODIs and one Twenty20 game from July 21, and
Ranatunga was confident the contracts would be in place for the series.
There was a discussion about requiring the players to seek
prior permission from SLC before speaking to the media, but that clause did not
make it in to the final version of the contract. However, if a player does make
comments considered detrimental to SLC, he could face a disciplinary committee
hearing.
The contract issue follows a year in which SLC ran into
financial problems after running up debts of close to $70 million to finance
the building of two international stadiums in Hambantota and Pallekele, and to
renovate the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, for the 2011 World Cup. As a
result the players were not initially paid their salaries for eight months. In
December 2011, 42.36% of the fees due to the players from the World Cup to
September 30, 2011 were paid. The payment of US$2 million was made directly
into the players' bank accounts, instead of routing it through Sri Lanka Cricket
(SLC), on December 16.
SLC claimed to have paid the remaining dues in March 2012
after the state-owned Bank of Ceylon agreed to release 600 million rupees
(approx US$5.07 million) to the board, following discussions with sports
minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. However, the players have not been paid
since the previous contracts expired, as the new contracts are yet to be
signed.
The SLPL starts on August 11, with the final to be played on
August 31. SLC had released a list of 112 local players and 56 overseas players
who will take part in the event. The tournament, which features seven
franchises this year, will have two more the next year, covering all nine
provinces.
Jayawardene, who is the icon player for the Wayamba
franchise, said the focus of the tournament should be on developing the game in
Sri Lanka. "While we say all good things about the tournament, let me
caution everyone … While we are making financial gains, the commitment of the
people involved should be to harness the talent, develop the game in the
outstations, get every possible youngster involved and let them realise their
dream of playing for Sri Lanka one day."
