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In a new twist to the ongoing retirement saga in Sri Lanka cricket it was announced that Sri Lanka cricketer Bhanuka Rajapaksa, who had decided to retire from cricket, has informed the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that he will withdraw his decision to retire from the game of cricket.
"Pursuant to a meeting with Namal Rajapaksa - Minister of Youth and Sports and after consulting with the National Selectors, Bhanuka Rajapaksa has notified SLC that he wishes to withdraw his resignation which he tendered to SLC on 3rd Jan. 2022, with immediate effect," the board said in an official statement.
"In his letter to SLC withdrawing his resignation, he further states that he wishes to represent his country in the game he loves for the years to come," added the statement.
Rajapaksa's numbers
Rajapaksa has played in 5 ODI matches and 18 T20Is for Sri Lanka. In ODI matches, he has scored 89 runs with his highest score of 65.
On the other hand, in T20Is he has scored 320 runs with his highest score of 77.
The left-handed batsman had announced his decision to retire on January 5. Two days later, another Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka had also followed Rajapaksa and decided to retire.
After the two sudden retirement decisions the SLC decided to come up with new recommendations. The SLC planned to make new recommendations regarding the retirement policies of Sri Lankan cricketers.
New recommendations
“National players who intend to retire from national cricket should provide three months’ notice to Sri Lanka cricket of their intention to retire,” the official statement read.
“Retired national players who wish to obtain ‘’No Objection Certificates’’ (NOCs) to play in overseas franchise leagues will only be issued to such players who have completed six months of their effective date of retirement.”
“Retired national players will be considered eligible for local leagues such as the LPL, only if they have played 80% of matches in the Domestic Cricket Competitions conducted in the season prior to the conducting of the league,” the statement further added.
But a tussle between the cricketers and board is not something new in Sri Lanka cricket circuit. In June, last year, three cricketers- Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis and Gunathilaka were suspended by the board for breaching the bio-bubble in the tour to England.
