100 Lankan cricketers not paid since April

Colombo: About 100 contracted Sri Lankan cricketers have not been paid since the island nation co-hosted the World Cup with India and Bangladesh in April earlier this year due to the debt that the country’s Board is facing. There are reports that the because of debt, Sri Lanka Cricket may not be in a position to pay the players for the next two months as well. “There is a truth in those media reports to a certain extent,” SLC Chairman Upali Dharmadasa told BBC Sinhala. [caption id=“attachment_117637” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“There are reports that the because of debt, Sri Lanka Cricket may not be in a position to pay the players for the next two months as well. AFP Photo”] [/caption] SLC is still awaiting payment from the ICC for co-hosting the World Cup. “The ICC still owes us $4-5 million ,” said Dharmadasa. Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said Sri Lanka still owes more than $18.1 million to the Chinese construction firm that built the stadium in President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s hometown, Hambantota. The minister is hoping that the matter would be sorted out by the end of this year. PTI