India vs Sri Lanka 2021: Five SL players refuse to sign contract ahead of limited-overs series, out of residential camp

Five Sri Lankan cricketers have refused to sign SLC contracts ahead of limited-overs series against India. (Source: Twitter)

The Sri Lankan team is not a happy camp at the moment in the build up to the limited overs series against India, starting later this month. Shikhar Dhawan-led Indian side will face hosts in three ODIs and three T20s starting July 13. But a total of five Lankan cricketers have now refused to sign a contract with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for the series against India, and have been left out of the residential camps ahead of the series.

The five cricketers are Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Ashen Bandara, and Kasun Rajitha, who were offered tour contracts by the SLC for the India series but they all refused to sign them. According to SLC CEO Ashley de Silva, the five players were to sign the contract and enter bio-bubble but the talks didn’t materialise.

“Until the national contract issue is resolved they were asked to sign the tour contract if they are going to be available for the Indian series so that they can go into a bubble as we are investing in them. But they were reluctant to sign the tour contract and therefore they were left out of the residential camps. They did not join the bubble in Dambulla or Colombo,” said Ashley de Silva.

“These five were offered a tour contract. That is when you participate, they will also be considered for national selection for the Indian tour. For the Indian tour, you need to have a tour contract, which they didn’t sign as they are part of the 24 players offered national contracts. If they sign the tour agreement before the commencement of training for the Indian tour the selectors will consider them,” De Silva added.