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by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

The interim committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) is offering the national cricket team performance incentives for a better showing at next month's Cricket World Cup in South Africa. The BCCSL is offering US$ 100,000 for Sanath Jayasuriya's team to win the World Cup in addition to earning as much as approximately US$ 20,000 per player if they reach the final.

A BCCSL spokesman said that the incentives will increase with each stage the team makes in the World Cup beginning from the five Pool matches and going through to the Super Sixes, the semi-finals and the final. The BCCSL has also doubled the players' match fee from US$700 to US$1400 for the World Cup and is also paying the team a sum of US$150,000 to offset any infringement of their advertising rights. The BCCSL earlier turned down a demand from the Cricketers' Association for additional payments for the players to offset any losses they may incur on any advertising rights during the World Cup.

The BCCSL was of the opinion that the players will be duly compensated only on performance. At the time the demand was made the Sri Lanka team was going through a lean patch having lost 4-1 to South Africa and the first three matches of the on-going Victoria Bitter one-day triangular against Australia and England.

Since the tournament resumed after the New Year, the Sri Lankan team's fortunes have reversed and they have recorded successive victories over Australia and England to be in contention for a place in the three-match finals.

BCCSL sources said that the players' demands for an increased payments have been tied up with performance.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned advertising on products by players which clash with those the World Cup tournament is being sponsored.

A similar situation arose during the ICC Champions trophy tournament held in Colombo in September last year. On that occasion the BCCSL paid the players 18 percent of the guarantee fee paid to them by the ICC. Sri Lanka won the World Cup in 1996 under the captaincy of Arjuna Ranataunga when it was hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but failed to retain the title three years later when it was held in England.

Sri Lanka are in Group B of the 2003 World Cup with hosts South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Kenya and Canada.

The tournament kicks off on February 8 with the final scheduled for March 23. Sri Lanka open their campaign on February 10 against New Zealand.

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