Sri Lanka Cricket Pay Row May Disrupt Bangladesh Test Series

A pay dispute between Sri Lanka Cricket and its 23 centrally contracted players "threatens to disrupt a two-test series against Bangladesh, which is due to commence in Galle on Friday," according to Ranga Sirilal of REUTERS. SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said that the players’ contracts expired at the end of February and they told SLC officials that "they would not sign new ones by Saturday’s deadline." Ranatunga said, "We have clearly explained to the players that we are willing to pay them 67% of our total revenue. We told them that unless they sign the contracts they would not be selected to play in the series against Bangladesh. The players are demanding 75% of the total revenue and if that is to be paid Sri Lanka Cricket will have to obtain a loan of 600M rupees ($4.7M) (REUTERS, 3/3).