Aravinda de Silva urged protesting SL cricketers to perform
BCB
|| CF DESK ||
SLC announces itinerary for Bangladesh’s full-fledged tour
5 May 25
Former Sri Lanka captain and Cricket Committee Chairman Aravinda de Silva has advised the protesting Sri Lankan players to perform rather than moan about the new contracts.
Sri Lankan cricketers have refused to sign the contracts, claiming that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has not provided them with sufficient information on how they were evaluated and graded. The new contracts have reduced base salaries and introduced performance-based incentives. On the field, Sri Lanka went down to Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series after losing the first two games in Mirpur.
Sri Lankan cricketers have issued a statement in which they express their amazement and disappointment at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLCdecision)'s to make information of new player contracts public. In a statement, the players stated that they would not sign any unjust or non-transparent contracts and urged the Sri Lankan board not to keep its players at gunpoint.
In an apparent reference to the loss, Aravinda de Silva was quoted as saying by dailynews.lk: “The most important fact is that they should get into the middle and play positive cricket and start winning games for the country rather than complaining. This positive approach will encourage us to consider offering them more benefits, like some of the other countries in our region,”
“The Committee has been very fair to them by infusing additional benefits than before, which is on a performance-based scheme. We discussed this matter in depth before we presented it to the players. Unlike in the past, we have increased the benefits three-fold (300%) than what it was but purely on the team’s performance,” added Aravinda de Silva.
Aravinda de Silva, who was the Man of the Match in the 1996 World Cup final for his magnificent 107 not out against Australia, pointed out that the team will be rewarded handsomely if they do well.
“It has to be a collective effort by the whole team. If they win a Test series, we pay them US $ 150,000 which was earlier limited to US $ 50,000. Winning a limited overs series we have offered them US $75,000, which was earlier limited to US $25,000.”
