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Pay dispute rocks Sri Lankan cricket  

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Sri Lanka’s national cricketers have refused to sign central contracts after a 200% pay cut. 

Rex Clementine in Kandy

A bitter pay dispute is on the cards after salaries of Sri Lanka’s national cricketers were cut by significant amounts lead up to the two Test series against Bangladesh.  The national cricket team is currently engaging in the series having refused to sign annual contracts and the deadlock could have a serious impact on the sport. The players have been without central contracts since January.

The players are disgruntled that they are going to lose out a significant portion of their pay in the central contracts.

A player in the top category according to the previous contract earned US$ 130,000 but now that could be lesser than US$ 45,000; a 200% salary cut. Also taken out of the pay package is the seniority payment. For example, a player with over 20 Tests would get paid an additional amount of US$ 500, over 40 Tests an additional amount of US$ 750, over 60 Tests a bonus of US$ 1000 while someone who has represented the country in 80 Tests would earn US$ 2000 additionally, for every game he plays. That incentive has been completely taken off, angering the top brass of the national cricket team.  

Although the first category has been reduced to US$ 100,000, in reality, someone like Suranga Lakmal, who features in Test cricket only, could earn something like US$ 45,000. That is because a points system decides how the players get paid and those who represent the team in all three formats have a better chance of getting the entire 100,000.

However, it doesn’t give someone like Lakmal, who has been highly impressive in the last two years, to continue to toil in Test cricket any longer. The easier option for him is to sign up a three year County Cricket deal in England, which would ensure him a pay of GBP 100,000 for a season, four times the pay compared to SLC’s annually.

Players are in discussion with their lawyers on what course of action that needs to be taken.

The details of the new contract were explained by Director Cricket Tom Moody by teleconference prior to the start of the current series. “Although Tom explained the contents of the contract, he got stuck at certain points unable to explain some of the things. It seems that this wasn’t prepared by him but someone else,” a player told The Island.

So, who is the mastermind who prepared the contract that has put the players on warpath with their employers? It appears that the mastermind is a former captain who is currently roaming the streets of Colaba, Bandra and Andheri and in his playing days teamed up with crooked player agent Charlie Austin asking for the pound of flesh from SLC.  He’s now a poacher turned gamekeeper.

Everything is not gloomy about the new contract though. There are some excellent clauses like failure of two kilometer run or skin-fold test resulting in you losing significant portion of your contract. Or in case of Kusal Mendis’ hit and run, that would result in losing the entire contract. 



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Asalanka vows to bounce back after Dambulla drubbing

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Kusal Mendis’ run out triggered a collapse as Bangladesh won the second T-20I by 83 runs at Dambulla.

Skipper Charith Asalanka has promised a swift turnaround after Sri Lanka’s crushing defeat in the second T20I against Bangladesh left the three-match series level at 1-1.

The hosts were blown away for just 94 in a calamitous run chase at Dambulla on Sunday, their lowest T20I total on home soil and heaviest defeat to Bangladesh in the format, as the tourists romped home by 83 runs.

“Very disappointed with the batting effort. But these collapses can happen in T20 cricket,” Asalanka told reporters. “What matters is how you bounce back. We’ve done it before in the ODI series. We’ll dust ourselves off and come back hard in Colombo.”

Bangladesh had posted a competitive 177 for seven after being put into bat, but Sri Lanka’s response never got out of the blocks. The top order floundered and the innings fell apart like a house of cards.

“Once you restrict the opposition to 180 on that wicket, it should be a gettable target,” said a visibly frustrated Asalanka. “But we were nowhere near it. The batting was a big letdown.”

The team’s brittle middle order has long been a soft underbelly, with Chamika Karunaratne batting at number seven and Avishka Fernando, under scrutiny, struggling at four.

“We need to sit down and sort this out,” Asalanka said. “Number four and six have been problem positions. With the World Cup coming up, we can’t afford to shuffle without clarity. We’ve got to lock down our best XI.”

Despite the debacle with the bat, there were a few silver linings. Left-arm seamer Binura Fernando delivered a probing spell, returning career-best figures of three for 31. However, Sri Lanka’s sloppy fielding let the game slip further from their grasp.

Litton Das, who top-scored with a fluent knock, was handed two lives, once on 30 when Kusal Mendis fluffed a stumping and again on 56 when Maheesh Theekshana spilled a regulation chance. Both reprieves came off the bowling of leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay.

“Binura was excellent — he bent his back and dragged us into the contest during his second spell,” Asalanka said. “But we let ourselves down badly in the field. You can’t afford to gift chances at this level.”

A full house witnessed the Dambulla encounter, and another sell-out crowd is expected in Colombo for the series decider. Tickets for the final game were snapped up a week in advance, and with the series now on a knife edge, fans are hoping for a blockbuster finish.

by Rex Clementine

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Idupa joins sub 46 club, bags best athlete title

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Kalhara Idupa Silva poses after returning a time of 45.99 seconds to win the 400 metres at the Western Province Athletics Championship of the National Sports Festival at Diyagama.

Schoolboy Kalhara Idupa Silva joined an elite group of Sri Lanka’s 400 metres sprinters when he achieved a massive personal best time of 45.99 seconds to win the men’s 400 metres at the Western Province Athletics Championship of the National Sports Festival concluded at Diyagama on Sunday.

In the 100 year old track and field history in Sri Lanka only six men had run the one lap race under 46 seconds according to official counts. Idupa became the seventh athlete to accomplish the target and proved beyond doubt that the impressive performance displayed at the last selection trial was not a fluke.

Eyebrows were raised when he clocked 46.62 seconds in April to get selected to the Asian Championship in Gumi.

He also became the second athlete in the Under 20 age category to run the distance under 46 seconds. Reigning national champion Aruna Dharshana was the first.

Commenting on his achievement his coach Sumith Jayantha said that Idupa was groomed carefully to achieve success at senior level. “He did not get deceived by the talent scouts of Colombo schools. When he started winning podium places there were interest from Colombo schools. We have seen many talented athletes failing at senior level after peaking at junior level in those schools,” Jayantha said in an interview with The Island.

Sumith Jayantha (Coach)

“He deserves the support of a sponsor. He could not get the Mas Holding sponsorship as he could not attend the trial. I am hopeful the authorities would act swiftly to aupport him,” said Jayantha.

Idupa and national sprinter Sayuri Lakshima Mendis stole the limelight at the weekend when they bagged the best athlete titles of the Western Province Athletics Championship.

The 400 metres specialists were adjudged the most outstanding athletes for their impressive performamce during the two day meet where the winners of the three district meets of Colombo, Kalutara and Gampaha clashed for supremacy.

Indupa from Ananda Sastralaya Kotte excelled in both the men’s 200 metres and the 400 metres as he established new meet records in both events. The up and coming athlete who formed country’s 4×400 metres relay team with seasoned campaigner Kalinga Kumarage in Gumi, slashed nearly one second off the meet record when he stopped the clock under 46 seconds to win the 400 metres. In the 200 metres Idupa returned a time of 21.10 seconds.v

Lakshima clocked 53.93 seconds to win the 400 metres. She was adjudged the best athlete in the women’s category ahead of H.R.D. Sithmini who cleared 6.10 metres in the long jump.

by Reemus Fernando

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Sinner beats Alcaraz to win first Wimbledon title

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Jannik Sinner is the first Italian player to win a Wimbledon singles title [BBC]

World number one Jannik Sinner won his first Wimbledon title by wearing down Carlos Alcaraz in another high-quality Grand Slam final between the dominant forces of the men’s game.

Italy’s Sinner claimed a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory at the All England Club, avenging his brutal French Open defeat by Spanish world number two Alcaraz just 35 days ago.

Sinner led by two sets – and held three championship points – before Alcaraz roared back to win a five-set classic lasting more than five hours.

The 23-year-old has responded by taking two-time defending champion Alcaraz’s crown on the Centre Court grass, following another gripping contest which again showcased the pair’s shot-making, athleticism and star power.

“It is so special,” Sinner said. “I’m living my dream.”

Sinner, who served a three-month doping ban earlier this year, has claimed the fourth Grand Slam title of his career and a first major victory not on a hard court.

A composed and clinical performance from the top seed ended Alcaraz’s 24-match winning streak.

[BBC]

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