The top administrators of Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) are reluctant to award yearly contract to some of the stalwarts of domestic cricket for 2019-20 season, Cricket Age reliably learns.
Last year, around 100 players were given contracts by the SLC, including senior domestic players also. The logic behind that good decision was that the younger players would get much needed experience and guidance by playing with the seniors.
However, this year, SLC top administrators are not too keen to include domestic seniors into central contract list.
According to sources SLC is holding back yearly contracts of seniors like Charith Buddhika, Thilana Thushara,
Dinuk Hettiarachchi, Chamara Silva, Hasantha Fernando and Tharanga Paranavithana.
All the players have played for Sri Lanka and have been regarded as legends in domestic cricket circuit. Particularly, Chamara Silva and Thilana Thusara were the architect of many famous Sri Lanka wins in their time. Paranavithana, meanwhile, was a solid, typical test opener for Sri Lanka for many years and played some memorable knocks at the top of the order.
Even though these players are not in the scheme of things for national team, still they offers valuable experience and younger domestic players can benefitted immensely by their love and passion for the game that they are still playing first class cricket without looking at international opportunities.
However, with the latest development, it seems that the SLC has some other plans!
Cricket Age understands that these senior players have also raised question against their possible omission and have informed SLC President Shammi Silva as well.
It has also learnt that the domestic contract file is under the possession of SLC powerful vice president Ravin Wickramaratne, who was supposed to table it during board previous Management Committee (MC) meeting.
Interestingly, the rapport between Ravin Wickramaratne and Chamara Silva is not that much cordial, largely due to Panadura SC and Kalutara PC match fixing scandal.
Recap:
In January 2017, the Tournament Committee of SLC, after convening an emergency meeting, had decided to initiate an impartial inquiry into complaints from the match officials that there may have been foul play during the Panadura SC vs Kalutara Physical Cultural Club match played on the 25 of January, at the Surrey Village grounds in Maggona.
Panadura SC claimed their 5 win in the Tier B segment in this match.
The club, which won the toss and elected to bat first reached their target of 165 within just 13.4 overs.
It deprived Sri Lanka Ports Authority team to be promoted to the Tier A of the domestic league. Later, based on Committee recommendations, the SLC had punished the players of both the clubs. The captains Chamara Silva (Panadura) and Manoj Deshapriya (Kalutara) were banned from “cricket-related activities” for two years, while the other players were served one-year bans. Later, however, SLC lifted the ban and closed the investigation of Panadura SC and Kalutara PC match fixing saga permanently!
Interestingly, the inquiry had also found that Chamara was not in the field on the day that alleged incident had taken place as he was having a stomach ailment. Later, Chamara Silva submitted an affidavit against Ravin Wickramaratne, who was the secretary of Panadura at that time.
