Minister intervenes to settle payments

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has successfully negotiated with the Bank of Ceylon to settle outstanding salaries of Sri Lanka cricketers before the end of this month. Thanks to the efforts of the Minister, the bank agreed to release Rs. 600 million to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to meet the outstanding payments of the national cricketers.

Minister Aluthgamage has instructed SLC officials to pay all pending salaries of the national players up to February end and regularise their payments thereafter. Sri Lanka cricketers will be paid on time from next month. The players have not been paid more than half their dues since the 2011 World Cup.

The ICC intervened two months ago and settled over 42 percent of the players fees from the World Cup to September 30, 2011. Instead of channelling through the SLC, the ICC made a total payment of US$2 million directly into the players' bank accounts.

The Sports Minister has warned the SLC that they should not keep any outstanding payments for the players and the national governing body for cricket must ensure that the player payments are made on time in the future.