Lasith Embuldeniya, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Ashen Bandara, and Kasun Rajitha, have refused to sign the short-term contract for the upcoming assignment against India. Three ODIs and as many T20Is are lined up later this month, and these players were offered the tour contract.
But Ashley de Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket, has not ruled them out until the formal training session starts.
The players had earlier refused to sign the annual contract, citing wages cut as the primary issue. SLC offered contract to 24 players under four slabs, with Dhananjaya de Silva the only payer in the elite category.
The players, however, agreed to tour England for three-match ODI and T20I series. They were clean-swept in the T20I series, and are trailing 0-2 in the ODI series. The last ODI will be played on 4 July.
It is worth a mention that Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella will not be considered for the series against India. These three players were sent back to Sri Lanka after being found guilty of breaching the bio-secure bubble in Durham.