No compensation for injured Lankan cricketers

By Srian OBEYESEKERE

No compensation will be paid to the six Sri Lankan cricketers despite having a narrow shave with their lives from the Lahore terrorist attack in Pakistan last Wednesday.

Duleep Mendis, Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) the governing body of the sport here told the 'Sunday Observer' yesterday that however, the injured six players would be medically covered by insurance during their recuperation from the attack.

Six Sri Lanka players namely skipper Mahela Jayawardene, vice captain Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavithana, Ajantha Mendis, and England born Assistant coach Paul Farbrace escaped by the skin of their teeth when gunmen ambushed them with gunfire on their way to the Gadaffi Stadium.

He elaborated that the injured players and official would be paid their match fees during their absence from cricket.

The SL players next international assignment is a private tour for the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty 20 tournament in April to be staged in India.

The SLC CEO while saying that it was upto the players to decide whether they would travel to India, however, insisted that India would have to give a hundred per cent assurance of the safety of the players in the wake of militant unrest there. Recently a cricket tour to India was aborted by England following the Mumbai attack during a five match ODI series.

However, England returned to complete the rest of their tour obligations.

The chief executive of the IPL Lalith Modi has been quoted as saying that the IPL would go ahead in April.