SLC and players end contract dispute

Colombo: A row between Sri Lanka Cricket and its centrally contracted players, which had threatened to turn into a major crisis, ended today following talks, according to chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya.

"The matter has been resolved. Captain Angelo Mathews and Vice-Captain Dinesh Chandimal have informed me that all the players have agreed to sign the contracts," Jayasuriya told reporters here. Players were called to meet Jayasuriya in a crisis talk after they had defied SLC`s extended deadline today to sign new contracts. However, SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said that players have been given time till 10 am tomorrow to sign fresh contracts. "We have been told not to say anything to the media," senior player Kumar Sangakkara told waiting reporters outside SLC offices after emerging from the talks. The players were angered by SLC`s decision to deny them 25 per cent of the guarantee money received by the Board from ICC events Also, the SLC wanted to slash payments to the players for the time they play in the IPL away from doing national duty. The third point the players objected to is the scrapping of a facility extended to them to take their wives on tour once in a year at SLC expense. The previous contracts ended on February 28 and among those who refused to enter new contracts were the 23 top players, including all of the international stars. All of them except, Mahela Jayawardene who is outside the country now, turned up for the meeting. Sangakkara, who was to play in the three-day tour opener against the visiting Bangladeshis in Matara, was not allowed to play due to the non-signing of the contracts. The players maintain that they would fight for due payments and privileges and it was unfair on the part of the SLC to deny them. PTI