Players are avoiding the signing of their annual contracts with Sri Lanka Cricket at the instigation of their manager, English national Charlie Austin, reports say.
Manager for several national captains previously, Austin presently manages around 20 players, but has become quite a headache for the local game, according to reports.
He has not paid taxes due to the state for the earnings he had made through the national cricketers.
Dilshan’s revelation
Tilakaratne Dilshan, who retired from international cricket recently, made an accusation against Austin at a television interview.
Without mentioning his name, Dilshan said a manager had sent him a letter, demanding a 10 per cent commission for a contract with the IPL, which he had secured personally.
Dilshan said he had sent that manager a letter, saying just that.
In the earlier stages of the IPL, Austin had earned massive income by getting contracts for Sri Lankan players with the Indian franchise.
He lost the opportunity after the then interim committee chairman Arjuna Ranatunga decided that players should get IPL contracts only through SLC.
Married to a local Muslim woman, Austin had made plans with top figures of the previous Rajapaksa regime to build a hotel in the southern coastal area.
Two of the most prominent cricketers still want Austin to be the go-between if their participation is needed for any programme.
Arriving in the island as a tourist, Austin stayed in the home of a cricket umpire who is no more, and later made friends with cricketers by becoming a journalist for cricinfo.com website.
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