Sri Lanka's new captain Kusal Perera expresses 'concerns' over SLC contract issue

Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Perera is hoping to resolve the ongoing contract tussle between players and the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) but he admitted that the issue has  'affected' the cricketers.

Sri Lanka cricketers have refused to sign new contracts offered by the apex body as they feel some players have been given 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.

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. 

Meanwhile, Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne's annual fee fell from roughly $100,000 to $70,000.

'We do have concerns about the contracts': Kusal Perera

"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," ESPNcricinfo quoted Perera as saying ahead of the first ODI against Bangladesh.

Perera said the team's focus remains on winning the ODI series against Bangladesh and the players will discuss the issue with the cricket board once they are back in Sri Lanka. "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," said Perera.

"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," he added.

Sri Lanka tour of Bangladesh 2020/21

Sri Lanka will be touring Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series that will be played on May 23, 25, and, 28 respectively. All the games will be contested at the  Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. While Kusal Perera will be leading the 1996 world champions, the three-time Asia Cup finalists will be led by explosive opener Tamim Iqbal.

Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming limited-overs series against Bangladesh. The SLC has sprung some huge surprise as they have appointed a new captain and a vice-captain for the upcoming ODI series vs Bangladesh. Kusal Perera has been named the Sri Lanka new ODI captain. He will be succeeding s Dimuth Karunaratne who has been dropped from the side after he recently led the Lankans to an ODI series loss in the West Indies.

Kusal Mendis has been appointed as Kusal Perera's deputy in the ODI format and as far as T20Is are concerned, there hasn't been any announcement and Dasun Shanaka is likely to continue leading the side in the shortest format of the game.
Besides, Karunarathne, seasoned campaigners like Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, and Lahiru Thirimanne have also faced the wrath of selectors as they have been dropped from Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh 2021 series. Apart from the sacking of senior players, news faces like Chamika Karunaratne, Shiran Fernando, Asitha Fernando, and Binura Fernando have found a place in the Sri Lankan squad for the upcoming ODI series against the Bangla Tigers.

On the other hand, Ashen Bandara, Danushka Gunathilaka, and Wanindu Hasaranga, who impressed one all with their performances against the Windies have managed to retain their place in the Sri Lankan squad.

(With ANI Inputs)