Malinga to play for Mumbai Indians at CLT20

Lasith Malinga will represent Mumbai Indians at the Champions League T20 over the Southern Express side he led to the Super Fours title in Sri Lanka. Although he will not turn out for them, Malinga has over the past few days negotiated higher pay for the Express side, for their participation in the tournament, after talks with SLC.

Malinga had officially asked the board for permission to play for Mumbai Indians on July 15, with that decision having been approved by SLC's executive committee on July 22. The decision to play for his IPL team means Malinga will not forego the payment equal to 10% if his IPL salary, made by IPL teams to the players who represent them in CLT20.*

"As per the Team Participation Agreement of CLT20 2014, the decision on which team a player should represent is the sole prerogative of the player himself," an SLC release said. "Accordingly, whilst expressing Sri Lanka Cricket's preference for Lasith to represent the Southern Express Team, the Executive Committee left this decision at his sole discretion."

Despite the request to turn out for his IPL franchise, Malinga had asked SLC officials to distribute as much as 50% of the board's income from the CLT20 among the un-contracted cricketers in the Southern Express side. This initial figure was rejected, however. The board eventually settled on paying the players "around 15%" of its after-tax income from the tournament, according to CEO Ashley de Silva. SLC receives a $500,000 payment from CLT20 for sending a team to the tournament.

The Southern Express players' cut of the SLC's income from the CLT20 is expected to be spread evenly among the team, with no consideration to seniority.

Though the board has officially said it would prefer Malinga to represent his local side, SLC had not put pressure on Malinga to play for Southern Express, unlike in 2013, when Kumar Sangakkara had been asked to play for the Kandurata Maroons team over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The board will also receive $150,000 from Mumbai Indians, as the sum a foreign franchise must pay the home team of a player who represents the foreign side at the CLT20. As the Southern Express side is effectively owned by SLC, this sum will go to the board.

The CLT20 will be played in India from September 13 to October 4.

*The payment made by IPL teams to CLT20 players is 10% over and above the contract fees, not 20% of the salary, as previously stated