Sri Lanka agree to England tour despite contract row

Colombo - The players will leave for England early on Wednesday

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 the ESPNcricinfo website 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 one-dayers and three Twenty20 Internationals in England. The limited-overs tour begins on June 23.