Two Sri Lankan players have tested COVID positive ahead of the opening ODI against Bangladesh on May 23 as per reports in Cricbuzz. Isuru Udana and Shiran Fernando are the names of the players who have tested positive with Chaminda Vaas, the bowling coach testing positive as well. Their samples were collected on May 21 and the teams are awaiting the results.
Two Sri Lankan Players Test COVID Positive
The cases has put the series which is a part of the ODI Super League under serious doubts now. All three matches are scheduled to be played in Dhaka with the second and third ODI to be played on May 25 and 28 respectively.
Meanwhile, players from the Sri Lankan cricket team have denied signing new contracts after their payments were slashed by 40 percent. Moreover, the squad is held at ‘gunpoint’ are particularly angry at the role played by former Australia star Tom Moody who is part of a national board panel that proposed the new contracts.
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Former Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews and Test skipper Dimuth Karunaratne were given the biggest pay cuts and dropped the side which is in Bangladesh currently. Mathews’ annual fee fell from $130,000 a year to $80,000 while Karunaratne was offered $70,000, a drop of $30,000.
“We are more worried about the criteria adopted by the board in deciding the new scheme said the player, who did not want to be named. They have published our pay. They must publish what is paid to Moody and the coach and other officials so people can decide if what is paid to us is reasonable” said a national team player.
Sri Lanka cricketers Dhananjaya de Silva and wicket-keeper Niroshan Dikwella are being paid the most among all the 24 players who are under the new contract. However, according to their lawyer both the players rejected the deal. The Sri Lankan team are lined up to play a limited-overs series against India in July after their series against Bangladesh.
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