http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pinnaduwage-Aravinda-de-Silva-c82298 hopes SLPL steers clear of player payment issues – Cricket News Update
Former Sri Lankan batsman Aravinda de Silva has expressed the hope that the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 Premier League organisers take pre-emptive measures in order to ensure that the tournament remains free of the player payment issues which have plagued the Indian Premier
League and the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 Premier League.
"I hope this (non-payment) doesn't happen here in the SLPL for the players' sake," he said. "I think the respective boards should try to make sure they get reasonable guarantee from the franchise holders to ensure players get their contracted amount."
Issues of delayed players' salaries have dragged on long after both the Indian and Bangladeshi tournaments came to an end. Following the culmination of the BPL in February this year, several involved players and officials, among them http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 (who received
the highest bid at the auction - $700,000) and Dhaka Gladiators coach http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ian-Leslie-Pont-c63901, complained that their franchises had failed to pay them the contracted amount.
The franchise owners and the BCB replied to inquires regarding payments by insisting that the salaries would be paid soon, setting up deadlines which were repeatedly extended. However, continual extension of deadlines (with the last deadline having passed
on July 21) has forced the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) to take legal action against the board and franchises, for their prolonged failure to pay the cricketers involved.
The Indian Premier League has been under a similar shadow since the culmination of the tournament in May this year, with the Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore franchises having failed to pay their contracted players as per the schedule. The
RCB management refused to reply to players’ queries regarding the payments, with emails going unanswered. Inquiries by the players’ home boards and the FICA also went unanswered, and the BCCI was finally forced to step in, ordering the team management to obtain
NOCs from the players regarding a revised payment schedule.
However, the FICA has expressed the intent to safeguard the cricketers involved in the SLPL from such issues by pushing for new clauses in contracts, alongside The Sri Lankan Cricketers' Association. Both parties have been successful in their campaign, and
it has now been made mandatory for franchises to provide bank guarantees for the players’ full salaries prior to the tournament. The SLPL, which includes 7 franchises, 56 foreign players, and 112 local cricketers, kicks off on August 11.
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