Team in better frame of mind following contract settlement: Mahela Jayawardene – Cricket News Update
Following the amicable settlement of the central contract issue which had been simmering between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and its players for five months, skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/DPMD-Jayawardene-c1397 claimed that the team would be in a more relaxed and positive frame of mind
for their upcoming matches.
"We were able to settle the matter very satisfactorily. Contracts will be signed tomorrow," he said. "We are in a position now to maintain a better frame of mind to face the games ahead."
SLC secretary Nishanta Ranatunga also confirmed that the contracts would be finalised prior to India’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, which involves five ODIs, and one T20 match, and is scheduled to commence on July 21.
The negotiations over new central contracts for the Sri Lankan players, which had been ongoing for up to five months, came to a make-or-break point when Jayawardene stated, at the launch of the upcoming Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL), that the players would
be forced to boycott the T20 event if the issue was not settled satisfactorily.
"We will only sign SLPL contracts once the central contracts of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 players are settled," warned Jayawardene.
The players had been without pay since their old contracts expired, and without new deals in place, uncertainties ran high.
The Sri Lankan cricketers had previously gone 8 months without pay in 2011, after the SLC had racked up debts close to $70 million following the renovation Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium for the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Cup 2011, in addition to the construction of two new
international stadiums in Hambantota and Pallekele. Players were paid 42.36% of their fees in December last year, while the remaining amount was paid in March 2012.
However, with the new deals set to be signed this week (which will be valid from March 1, 2012 to February 28, 2013), the Sri Lankan players are in a securer frame of mind as they gear up for their series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. The tour will be followed by the SLPL,
which is due to commence on August 11 and features 7 franchises. The SLC has confirmed that 112 local cricketers and 56 overseas players will be participating in the event.
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