COLOMBO, July 15: Sri Lanka’s cricket board has awarded central contracts to 11 players, including fast bowler Lasith Malinga and spinner Rangana Herath for the first time.

Several injury-prone pace bowlers including Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Fernando and Nuwan Kulasekera have missed out although the board has suggested it will shortly increase the number of contracts handed out.

The players signed the one-year deals on the morning of the first test between West Indies after several weeks of negotiations with the cricket board.

The previous year’s contract expired at the end of February and renewal was delayed by four months due to the instability within the administration and player concerns over clauses relating to personal endorsements.

Contracted players: Marvan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Rangana Herath, Lasith Malinga, Upul Chandana.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s cricket tour of India later this year may be divided into two parts to accommodate the inaugural Super Series in Australia, an official said here on Friday.

Sri Lanka were originally scheduled to play three Tests and seven one-day internationals in October-November on their first full tour of India since 1997.

But the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Super Series between Australia and the World teams in October and South Africa’s five one-dayers in India in mid-November have forced the Indian board to propose a split tour by Sri Lanka.

According to the proposal, Sri Lanka will now arrive in India in the last week of October after the ICC Super Series to play seven one-day internationals and come again in December for the three Test matches.

“The split tour proposal by the Indian board is being considered by us,” Sri Lanka Cricket official Tryphon Mirando told AFP.

The proposal could see India playing as many as 12 one-day internationals at home in November — seven against Sri Lanka and five against South Africa.

South Africa’s one-dayers in India are scheduled between November 17-29.

India are already due to tour Sri Lanka for a triangular one-day series from July 30-August 9 and visit Zimbabwe for two Tests and another tri-series from the end of August.

The ICC Super Series in Australia includes three one-dayers in Melbourne on October 5, 7 and 9 and a six-day Test match in Sydney from October 14-19.

BD TOUR: Bangladesh will play two Tests and three one-day internationals in Sri Lanka in September, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement here on Friday.