Clubs express concern over delay in payment of match expenses

Saturday, 9 May 2026 02:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

New domestic cricket season 2026-27 scheduled to commence on 13 May

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

The completion of the NSL 4-day league brought to a close the 2025-26 domestic season.

The new domestic cricket season for 2026-27 is due to begin on 13 May with the Major Clubs T20 tournament where 14 clubs are competing and the Tier B T20 tournament which involves 12 clubs.

However, there is a hitch as the participating clubs have still not received their monies for match expenses which they use to pay players contract fees, clothing and meals. Usually a certain percentage of their contract fee is paid to the players before the start of the matches.

With the tournament scheduled to get off the ground in four days’ time several clubs have questioned whether the money due is going to be paid in time for them to meet their match expenses. Badly hit are the smaller clubs who depend heavily on the expenses doled out by Sri Lanka Cricket to make ends meet.

SLC meets the expenses of the umpires and grounds as all matches will be played at neutral venues selected by SLC.

Usually the monies are distributed to the clubs a week before the start of the tournament.

Each of the 14 Major Clubs get Rs. 55 million for expenses for the season and Rs. 30 million is given to each of the 12 clubs playing in Tier B. Usually 50 percent of the total money is given to the clubs prior to the start of the tournament to meet their match expenses.

Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva said that the monies to the clubs will be paid by Monday or Tuesday before the commencement of the tournaments.

The tournament committee ceased to be active when the SLC Executive Committee members resigned en bloc on 29 April and a new 9-member SLC Transformation Committee under the chairmanship of former MP Eran Wickramaratne was installed by the government to run the affairs of SLC.

In the absence of the tournament committee, the tournaments will be conducted by the staff members of SLC’s domestic cricket department as has been the practice with previous interim committees.