The Sri Lanka Cricket is not in favour of offering a tailor-made contract to runaway fast bowler Lasith Malinga for next year, the Sunday Times reliably learns.
A Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman said Malinga who was named in top category along with Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara, T.M. Dilshan and Thilan Samaraweera had so far not signed his central contract for next year, but had indicated to the authorities that he might consider signing a contract which suited him.
At present Malinga who has retired from Test cricket would receive only forty percent of the stipulated amount which would only work out for US$ 40,000 during the contracted period. Malinga kept away from signing the central contract last year.
He also declared himself as a freelancer while he turning out for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League T-20 Championship.
The SLC spokesman said: “We cannot agree to such a request as it would create a huge precedent and even lead other cricketers getting fancy ideas. This has to be nipped in the bud. However, some of the cricketers who returned from India have not signed contracts as yet and we expect that they will do so after the two T-20 games in Hambantota.”
Malinga last week pulled out of his county contract with Middlesex making himself available for Sri Lanka’s two series against Pakistan and India. The two series will be followed by the SLPL and the ICC T-20 World Championship.
SLC’s non-contracted players would earn an extra 25-percent in match fees and daily allowances. They are also not bound by SLC’s restrictive clauses, which prevent the contracted player from speaking to the media or leaving country without approval.
However, if Malinga does not sign the contract he would not be eligible for any training or medical facilities that contract-cricketers enjoy. Recently, Sri Lanka Cricket enforced a clause saying that only the contract players would be eligible for facilities provided by them. However, cricketers who have not been offered the central contract but are in the reckoning can enjoy the said facilities. |
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