Sri Lanka captain Kusal Perera on contract issue: Pay dispute a 'concern' but team focused on cricket

Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Perera said that the ongoing pay dispute with the national cricket board "is a concern" for players but they are focused on the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh.

Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Perera said that the contract issue between Sri Lankan players and the national board has hurt team morale ahead of an ODI series in Bangladesh. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) offered contracts to 24 players ahead of the team's departure for Bangladesh, with lower base salaries and more performance-based incentives which have been rejected by the cricketers. "It will be a lie to say that the pay cut issue won't mentally affect our players," Perera told an online press conference Saturday.