The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has faced backlash from its players after the introduction of a new points-based grading system. They have threatened to consider premature retirement as the new system will decide their annual paychecks. All the players have demanded transparency on the factors leading to their grading as the new system will have a significant impact on the salary they receive.
The new points system will mean that players will be categorised into four different groups based on the points they receive. The points will be awarded considering levels of fitness, discipline and performances in both domestic and international circuit in the last two years.
Leadership qualities and value addition to the team will also be counted when allotting points. Players have demanded the board to reveal how the points will be allotted to get a fair idea of the process and identify the areas where they needed improvement.
“Each individual player very correctly believes they are entitled to a disclosure on the points allotted which categorised their ranking,” Nishan Sydney Premathiratne, the player representative in the SLC contract negotiations was quoted as saying by the Sunday Times.
“Transparency would also create unity and harmony. All players are in unison seeking this information. Transparency is paramount so that the players also know how they were assessed and what weaknesses they need to address,” he further added.
Meanwhile, Ashley de Silva who is a part of the Sri Lanka Cricket Management Committee appointed by the Ministry of Sports stated that they had finalised the contract after making amendments on the request of the players.
“The contracts have been finalised,” De Silva was quoted as saying by Daily FT. “The players have appointed a lawyer and they wanted certain amendments to be done in the agreement which our lawyers have done. Now we are in the process of sharing it with the senior players. So far nobody has said that they are not going to sign it.”
“The current team to Bangladesh has gone on a tour agreement and they have been given the new agreement to go through and if anybody wanted to sign it they could. I haven’t got the feedback from the manager because they took off yesterday morning,” he further added.