Unpaid Lankan cricketers playing for love of the game

2 February 2012 09:51 am - 23 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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SYDNEY: Sri Lankan players will be playing the Commonwealth Bank Series because of their love for cricket, despite not getting their payments on time.

Sri Lanka’s players are still owed 2.3 million dollars from the World Cup, plus money from matches played against England, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa in the past eight months.

The tri-series in Australia is also being played against the backdrop of a worrying pay dispute for Lankan players who are owed as much as five million dollars due to a cash crisis within the country’s cricket governing body.

The Federation of International Cricketers Association fears the parlous state of Sri Lanka Cricket’s finances leaves them at risk of becoming insolvent without a cash bailout from the country’s government, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

The International Cricket Council intervened in December when it bypassed the board and facilitated a direct two million dollars payout to Sri Lanka’s players.

The general secretary of the Sri Lanka Cricketers Association, Ken De Alwis, said the players earned 5,000 dollars in match fees for ODIs, which meant the board faced payments of at least 480,000 dollars plus awards and prize money from the current tour of Australia.

“The newly elected committee is trying to sort things out. Financially it is a burden for some of the guys, so we need to make sure they’ve got that security, knowing that they will get paid, so we can keep their focus on their game,” said skipper Jayawardene. (Source: ANI)

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Comments - 23

kishor Friday, 03 February 2012 01:28 AM

indians are highly paid because they have enough money to pay their players.
look in to our problems first rather than talking abt other nations problems..

shane g Friday, 03 February 2012 01:37 AM

hope 2 c all past n present crickets at liption circle or fort rail way stations

nimal Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:49 AM

SLC weasted world cup money to pay bonuses to their officials and the corrupted lot back at the helm.
Hats off to ourcricketers for putting the countrywhile the officials put their pockets first

PREM Thursday, 02 February 2012 10:40 AM

Ok ,they must play ggod cricket as a united team

PRAD Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:11 AM

Aussie media starts sligging muds at Sri Lanka by highlighting these irrelevant facts.
They are trying to tarnish image of srilanka.
Then how about over paid Indian cricketers??
Indians are being hammered by Aussies left, right and centre. India performs very poor despite being paid high.
Hence, crickters payment has nothing to do with play or performance. After all our players knows that they will be paid their dues anytime infuture. Apart from that players will represnet the country even if a single rupee is not paid. Their forcus is not money paid by cricket board. These amounts are chicken feeds for them. They are eyening at big sponsorships, IPL money etc. Most of the players will play for their national teams even if nothing is paid.
We got to understand these are tactices by dirty Aussie medias.

Fayad Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:22 AM

I love to see the what the sport minister have to say.?

Riyazi-Dorking Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:22 AM

If this happens to some other team ,they`ll quit or make a big demand for sure !!

Ajithkumar Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:23 AM

In India the person in charge of the Common wealth games was jailed for a long time for misused of funds - in SL the SLC president in charge during the WC - where money once again misused was only removed from the position and walk away - and innocent players are paying for the same - why NO ACTION against the misuses

fazli Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:50 AM

Mind you they are contracted.

nilantha Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:42 AM

money for maches playing with Englind, Australia, Pakistan and South Aferica..? This is funny.. Except in South Aferica.. they lost to others with giving big records to them.

Calistus Jayatilleke Thursday, 02 February 2012 12:03 PM

One wonders if the so called "patriotic" politicians will attend to their duties if they are not paid their salaries and allowances on time like this. Actually, the cricketers who bring glory to the country deserve to be paid on time even if the useless politicians are not paid anything for their "services"

A.M Hassan Thursday, 02 February 2012 11:57 AM

We are blessed to have this kind of servant to the mother land they are our real heroes. Cricketers of yester and today took our country flag all over the world and all the corners.
Some government servants don’t work for 8 hours, don’t come for work daily and don’t do their duty proper but they strike for each and every thing. Will all mush be with our cricketers at this moment and give them courage to beat Ausis and Indians. We all are with you guys. PERATAMA YAMU LANKA.

sid Thursday, 02 February 2012 12:41 PM

In the past all great cricketers like Sobers,Bradman,Hanif Mohamed,and our own CI Gunasekera,F.C.De Saram, etc never played for money they just played for the love of the country.So its not a great achievement which the present cricketers boast about. When money comes corruption follows as we can evidence in the present cricket arena. Play up and play the game

sid Thursday, 02 February 2012 12:57 PM

There are many talented cricketers waiting on the sideline to join the National team so considering the present financial position of the Board why dont we put forward a team who will not seek remuneration. They could be employed by Mercantile firms who could compensate them as salaries and release them for national duty with full pay.Its time this option be considered till the Board gets over the financial crisis

koko jumbo Thursday, 02 February 2012 12:50 PM

These are most richest people of our country and even if SLC not paid they get money in other means

solico Thursday, 02 February 2012 01:12 PM

confiscate the properties of all the former SLC corrupt officials including Nishantha Ranatunga

ZAF Thursday, 02 February 2012 01:25 PM

It is about time the people in charge realise that, the game is bigger than any one person or all of them put together. Therefore, they should be working towards the betterment of the game and the players who play this noble game., as otherwise it is "just not cricket"

shehantha Tuesday, 14 February 2012 02:57 AM

in this series unfortunately we lost two matches against India and Australia. Mahela jayawardane is very good cricketer and captain but we want new captain to perform our team.

Lankan Friday, 03 February 2012 06:11 AM

can anyone tell me how much a SL player get paid for a 1 ODI match??????????

pasha Friday, 03 February 2012 06:14 AM

Well said there many talented player who will play for the country voluntarily or with the less pay

pasha Friday, 03 February 2012 06:20 AM

Do not compare government employee penny salary with the pay of cricketer in dollars

lk Thursday, 02 February 2012 06:28 PM

WHAT A SHAME! i really feel sorry for the new young cricketers,

surain Thursday, 02 February 2012 07:10 PM

I totally agree with calistus & Ajithkumar

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Unpaid Lankan cricketers playing for love of the game

Comments - 23

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