Player managers to be regulated

Following allegations that some player managers had “a field day” during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) player draft, the Sports Ministry is finally drafting a regulatory framework to register agents.

This means National Sports Associations (NSAs) listed with the Ministry of Sports, including Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), must introduce an accreditation and registration system for all player managers, conduct background checks and impose the same code of conduct, anti-corruption and anti-doping conformity on them as players.

There have been calls for regulation in the past, with players like Kumar Sangakkara, one of the first to enlist a manager, advocating for an accreditation and registration system for agents. Increased commercialisation and allegations of player managers influence on matters other than commercial aspects are now forcing the Ministry to bring them under a framework…