Sri Lanka to tour England despite contract row

The players, including test captain Dimuth Karunaratne and ODI skipper Kusal Perera, had refused to sign new contracts which offer lower base salaries and more performance-based incentives.

Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne plays a shot during the second Test against Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka's cricket board said on Tuesday its players have agreed to tour England, even though a contract dispute remains unresolved.

The players, including test captain Dimuth Karunaratne and ODI skipper Kusal Perera, had refused to sign new contracts which offer lower base salaries and more performance-based incentives.

"The team will go ahead with the tour. All the players are available," a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman told  Reuters .

The players will leave for England early on Wednesday, he added.

 

The players had criticised the "unfair and non-transparent" contracts in a statement last month but continued with their tour of Bangladesh for a three-match one-day series.

"They will play this tour without signing any contract," players' representative Nishan Premathiratne told  ESPNCricinfo  ahead of the players' departure for London.

"They have signed a voluntary declaration, but there's nothing there about player remuneration. They have always been committed to playing for Sri Lanka."

Sri Lanka will play three ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals in England. The limited-overs tour begins on June 23.