Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa expressed his satisfaction that the player-contract issue between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the national cricketers had come to a settlement amicably.
“I think professional players’ duty is to play for their country without demanding. For example, former Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and his players never played with deals,” he said on Monday, following a decisive meeting between SLC and the national cricketers.
“As a national rugby player I had some issues with the administrators but we never demanded and also never withdrew from the team,” he emphasised. “This player-contract issue is the players’ personal opinion. Any player who is not willing to sign the contract can do that,” the Minister added. Minister Rajapaksa further praised the cricketers for raising the issues with regard to their contracts as a team and not as individuals. “I hope that they will continue to represent Sri Lanka as one team in the upcoming England tour as well,” the Minister concluded.
