Sri Lanka Cricket ODI Captain Charith Asalanka and Test Cricket Captain Dhanajaya De Silva have filed writ petitions before the Court of Appeal.
Their petitions have challenged the classification of Sri Lanka’s national cricketers as employees of the national association, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) by the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).
The writ petition was fixed for further support on March 28 by Court of Appeal (Acting President) Justice Mohammed Laffar and Justice K. Priyantha Fernando.
The petitioners are seeking for notice to quash and suspend the decision of the IRD.
Counsel Nishan Sydney Premathiratne appeared with Shenali Dias and Sidath Gajayanaka on the instructions of Gamindu Karunasena for the petitioners, Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya De Silva. President’s Counsel Kuvera de Soyza with Pasindu Bandara and Sajana de Soyza on the instructions of Sanjay Fonseka represented Sri Lanka Cricket. Deputy Solicitor General Manohara Jayasinghe appeared for the Inland Revenue Department.
A letter signed by 38 national cricketers, including players Wanindu Hasaranga, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis setting out the grievance and endorsing the petitioners to seek appropriate legal redress on the unlawful classification was also placed before Court.
