Three months' notice before retirement among 3 key rules issued by Sri Lankan Cricket Board

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), in a media release earlier today, has imposed three important decisions for their players going forward. The new rules have been implemented regarding the retirement of international players and No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in overseas franchise-based leagues.

The executive committee of the island nation's cricket board made these decisions in a meeting on January 7, 2022.

According to the media release, international players and already retired players will have to follow the following rules –

1. National players who intend to retire from national cricket should provide three months’ notice to Sri Lanka cricket of their intention to retire.

2. Retired national players who wish to obtain 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.

3. 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 rules have been made effective immediately by the SLC.

The rules seem to have been framed on the backdrop of several international cricketers retiring this week.

SLC has also decided not to provide NOCs to the players for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) T20 due to their international commitments. The BPL T20 is scheduled to start from January 21

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Sri Lanka Cricket lifts the one-year suspension on the trio accused of bio-bubble breach

Sri Lanka Cricket lifted the one-year ban on Danushkha Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella, and Kusal Mendis on January 7.

The trio were found guilty of breaching the bio-bubble during the team’s England tour in July 2021 and hence, suspended for a period of one year.

The executive committee, however, reduced the one-year ban to seven months in a meeting on Friday.

Soon after the ban was lifted, eight-Test-old Gunathilaka informed the board of his decision to retire from Test cricket. He cited the reason that he wishes to focus on the shorter formats of the game.

Interestingly, Bhanuka Rajapaksa also announced his retirement from international cricket this week.

According to Cricbuzz, SLC officials have incorporated stricter rules since a few players in the recent past have opted to retire without informing board officials.

SLC recently also brought in former captain Mahela Jayawardene as a consultant coach for their national team. The former Sri Lankan skipper is trying to make sure that their contracted cricketers take part in a domestic tournament, scheduled to take place in the coming days.