All-rounder Angelo Mathews, along with three suspended players -- Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis -- do not figure in Sri Lanka Cricket's (SLC) list of 18 players offered national contracts here on Friday. "Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that 18 players signed the National Player Contracts, which came into effect from August 1, 2021. The new contract will be for a five-month period and will end on the December 31, 2021," SLC said in a statement on Friday. SLC clarified that Mathews was not in the contracted players' list because he is "currently unavailable for selection".
"Angelo Mathews, who was among the players offered a contract was not considered, as he is currently unavailable for selection, whilst Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis are currently serving a ban. Isuru Udana has retired from international cricket," SLC added. Mendis, wicketkeeper Dickwella and Gunathilaka were sent home from England for breaching bio-bubble protocols in Durham. The players were chosen under four categories and were nominated by the Selection Panel, based on a set of criteria such as Performance, Fitness, Leadership/Seniority, Professionalism/Code of Conduct, and Future/Adaptability," SLC explained in a release.
Players who signed contracts: Dhananjaya De Silva, Kusal Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lasith Embuldeniya, Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dushmantha Chameera, Dinesh Chandimal, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Ramesh Mendis, Lahiru Kumara, Ashen Bandara, Akila Dananjaya
