Sri Lanka players refuse to sign World Cup contracts

Sri Lanka's cricketers have rejected a performance-related pay package for the forthcoming World Cup and refused to sign their player contracts.

The Sri Lankan cricket board has therefore failed to the meet the January 14 ICC deadline for signing the players' terms agreement.

A statement released by the Sri Lanka Cricketers Association (SLCA) said: "The SLCA confirms that the controversial players' terms agreement has not been signed by the Sri Lanka players."

The SLCA are demanding that the Sri Lankan cricket board pay the players 20% of the monies that they receive from the ICC World Cup. At present they have been offered a 5% revenue share.

"The players of Australia and New Zealand are being paid 25%," said the SLCA. "The South Africans are almost there with 30% of the total money received from their board. In view of the above, the 20% that the Sri Lankan players are requesting seems reasonable enough."

"The players are of the view that their rights have been stolen away by this Player Terms Agreement. The BCCSL, without consulting the players concerned, have signed the agreement until the 2007 World Cup. Therefore, the players have a right to claim these payments."

The release, however, hints that the players would stop short of boycotting the tournament: "The players are clearly committed to participate in the World Cup even without such payments."

Earlier in the week, the BCCSL offered the players a performance-based pay incentives package, including an USD 100,000 bonus for lifting the trophy, as well as doubling their standard match fee of USD 700 per game.