A group of Sri Lankan cricketers have arrived in court today in connection with a hearing on the writ petition filed challenging the arbitrary classification of national cricketers as employees of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
The Writ petition was filed by Charith Asalanka and Dhanajaya De Silva as the respective captains of the One Day International and Twenty20 cricket teams and the Test Cricket Team.
The petition was preferred by the cricketers in relation to the arbitrary and unreasonable overnight classification of Sri Lanka’s national cricketers as employees of the national association, SLC, by the Inland Revenue Department.
The petitioners filed the writ petition seeking notice to quash the decision of the IRD and an interim order to suspend the decision.
A letter signed by 38 national cricketers, including players Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Pathum Nissanka, and Kusal Mendis, setting out the grievance and endorsing the petitioners to seek appropriate legal redress on the unlawful classification, was also placed before the Court of Appeal in March.
On behalf of the petitioners, it was submitted that Sri Lanka’s cricketers have been historically treated as independent service providers and in fact they cannot be construed to be employees and from the first instance of adoption of contracts between SLC and players, national cricketers have been treated as independent service providers between the parties. (Newswire)