We Have Our Concerns, Hoping To Resolve It Fairly: Kusal Perera Opens Up On Contract Row With SLC

Newly appointed Sri Lanka white-ball captain Kusal Perera opened up about the ongoing players’ dispute with the Sri Lanka cricket board about the new contracts which sees significant cuts in retainership amount. He said that he is hoping that the matter is resolved fairly with the board.

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. Along with that, Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne’s annual fee fell from roughly $100,000 to $70,000.

With The Contracts, We’re Going To Come Back To Sri Lanka And Discuss With The Board Then: Kusal Perera

The left-handed batsman, speaking to reporters, admitted that there is concern among players regarding the contract and it is affecting the team. Sri Lanka is preparing for a three-match ODI series against Bangladesh and the skipper mentioned that despite the ongoing battle with the board, the players are focusing on the series at the moment.

“We do have concerns about the contracts. We can’t say it’s not affecting us – that would be a lie and everyone would know it’s a lie. But I’m hoping we can talk to the cricket board and resolve this fairly. With the contracts, we’re going to come back to Sri Lanka and discuss with the board then. But before then we are just trying to think about how we will win this series,” Kusal Perera was quoted as saying ESPNCricinfo.

“What I’m trying to do is give the players confidence to go and do what they know how to do, because if they are fearful, they won’t get the best out of their skills,” Kusal Perera added.

Sri Lanka cricketers have refused to sign the new contracts offered by the SLC for the time being as feel they have gotten unfair deals. On Friday, a legal representative of top Lankan players issued a statement that claimed the new deal sees fees paid to specific cricketers in a one-sided manner.

FICA (Federation of International Cricketers’ Association) also mentioned that the remuneration being offered to the Sri Lanka players is substantially lower in comparison with other cricketing nations in the world.

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