August 10, Colombo (LNW): The World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) has welcomed the creation of the Sri Lankan Professional Cricketers’ Association (SLPCA), describing the move as an important step towards strengthening player representation in the country.
The global players’ body said the establishment of the SLPCA would help further professionalise Sri Lankan cricket and provide players with a more unified platform to raise issues concerning their careers, welfare and the future development of the sport.
The new association was recently established by Sri Lanka’s professional cricketers, with white-ball captain Kusal Mendis elected as its first President.
WCA Chief Executive Officer Tom Moffat congratulated Sri Lankan players on the formation of the organisation, stressing that effective player representation was closely linked to the sustainable development of the game.
Moffat said players needed to have a meaningful role in discussions about cricket’s future and praised Sri Lankan cricketers for coming together around a common objective.
He described Sri Lanka as one of the sport’s major cricketing nations and said the creation of the SLPCA reflected a wider global shift towards stronger structures for player representation within professional sport.
The WCA pointed out that Sri Lanka’s new association follows the recent formation of the US Cricketers’ Association, further expanding the network of organised player representation around the world.
With the addition of Sri Lanka, players in 17 of the 19 leading cricket nations are now affiliated with the WCA.
The organisation currently has a presence across 17 major cricketing countries and represents more than 750 active international players through its Global Player Rights Programme.
The WCA said the growing network would enable players from different cricketing nations to work collectively on issues affecting the modern game while contributing to its long-term stability and integrity.