In a significant and timely development, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has decided to Increase the Domestic Clubs Annual Grant to 25 Million from this season, Cricket Age exclusively learns.
The decision comes at a time, when country’s economy has been facing one of its worst ever financial crisis, resulting from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Huge piles of foreign debt, series of lockdowns, soaring inflation, shortage in fuel supply, fall in foreign reserves and devaluation of currency.
“At a time, when pandemic and inflation has badly affected everyone in the country, as paternal body it’s our responsibility to look after our stakeholders” a top SLC official told Cricket Age.
The initiative was taken by board president Shammi Silva himself. Before him, the clubs were getting 13 million annual grant. In his first tenure, he increased it to 21 million and now additional 4 million per year have been approved for each stakeholder. Earlier this year, match fees for domestic matches was also increased, in order to provide much needed financial support to cricketers.
“He keep aside the cricket politics and treats each club equally. In his tenure, even Colts Cricket Club, which is headed by his rivals Nishantha Ranatunga and K Mathivanan, received millions of additional grant for new club house and other infrastructures” the top SLC official added.
Under Shammi’s watch, In last two years, amidst Pandemic threat, Sri Lanka somehow managed to regularly play international and domestic cricket, more frequently than any other cricket board. At International cricket, where most of other boards failed to complete their FTP’s, SLC managed to complete 99% of International commitments. Likewise, In domestic cricket, Sri Lanka managed to stage A-list and National Super League (NSL) tournaments!
