Kusal Mendis named President of newly formed Sri Lankan Professional Cricketers' Association
Colombo, August 8
Sri Lanka's men's white-ball captain Kusal Mendis was named the newly formed Sri Lankan Professional Cricketers' Association President.
The newly formed SLPCA was officially launched on Saturday.
The association, backed by prominent players including women's captain Chamari Athapaththu and allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, aims to serve as an independent and collective voice for professional cricketers in Sri Lanka.
"The formation of the SLPCA comes at a landmark time for Sri Lankan cricket, following a sustained period of positive progress and reform across the sport in the country, including the work of the game's transformation committee to strengthen governance and modernise the domestic structure," a media release said as per Cricinfo.
"Alongside the governance reforms and transformation work already underway, having a genuine, organised player voice is another important step toward a modern, collaborative game that is aligned with international best practice," the release added.
The launch comes amid a period of significant administrative upheaval in Sri Lankan cricket, with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) undergoing a major reform process under a temporary, government-appointed Cricket Transformation Committee.
The formation of the players' association is the latest step towards modernising the game in the country, with a new constitution also in the works.
The SLPCA is directly affiliated with the World Cricketers' Association (WCA), the global federation representing professional cricketers.
The affiliation gives Sri Lankan players access to the WCA's international programmes, welfare and support systems, and global player-advocacy networks, areas where they have historically lacked a structured presence.
"We're proud to have established SPCA to represent Sri Lanka's players at this important time, and we look forward to working constructively and collaboratively with Sri Lanka Cricket, the Transformation Committee, and other stakeholders as cricket continues to grow," Kusal, as SPCA president, said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is great for women's cricket too! Chamari Athapaththu being involved shows they're thinking about all players. The WCA affiliation means Sri Lankan women cricketers will get the same support as men. Good to see neighboring countries progressing like this.
The timing is interesting - during a government-appointed transformation committee takeover? I hope this is genuine reform and not just political interference in cricket. Need to see if the SLC actually cooperates or treats this as another hurdle. Better late than never though.
Great initiative! Sri Lankan cricket has produced legends like Murali, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, but the players were never organised. This could help everyone from the national team to grassroots players. Wonder if our cricketers ever felt the need for something like this in India? Probably not, given how BCCI manages everything so well!
Interesting to see Kusal Mendis as president. Did he get unanimous support or was there some disagreement? Just curious about the internal politics. Anyway, having an organised player voice is always good for the sport. Hope this will bring back the glory days of Sri Lankan cricket. 🏏
This is indeed a landmark step. In our country, players are well taken care of by BCCI, but for Sri Lanka, having a WCA affiliation means international-level welfare and support. Cricket definitely needs proper player associations in all countries. Especially happy to see women's captain involved!
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