Jayasuriya sues Canada's T20 match organisers for non-payment of fees

Sanath Jayasuriya and several leading international players who took part in the All-Star Twenty20 match in Canada are suing the organisers for allegedly defaulting on promised payments.

A total of 16 players, including Jayasuriya, have initiated legal action in Toronto seeking US$113,000 in unpaid wages, airfare and accommodation costs, according to a report in islandcricket.lk website.

"It is not good for Canada and not good for Canada and cricket," Jayasuriya told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation immediately after the event, upon hearing that the organisers were unable to pay.
 
"I have been playing for the last 20 years and never gone through this kind of thing before."

Jayasuriya, who led a World XI to play two matches in Pakistan recently, was promised US$15,000 plus expenses for his appearance in the Cricket Canada-approved event.
 
The players were hired by Kat Rose Custom Designs Inc to play a one-off match at the Rogers Centre in May. But the event was hit by the absence of several well-known Pakistani players who were the event's main drawcards.
 
The Federation of International Cricketers' Associations have been at the forefront in trying to recover the monies owing, but say that legal action was the only recourse after talks broke down with Kat Rose.
 
However, Kat Rose's president Herb Choga has said that he halted all attempts to devise a payment plan with the players once he was notified by lawyers of the intention to sue, according to the report.

Choga blamed Cricket Canada for the event's inability to secure the Pakistani players, which the event banked on heavily for its success.

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