Ace Sri Lanka bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga has pulled out of 2024. Hasaranga wants to be completely fit ahead of the T20 World Cup in June and decided to give the T20 league a skip.
Hasaranga was roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad for his base price of Rs 1.5 crore after being released by Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
According to a Sri Lanka Cricket official, Hasaranga has swelling that is yet to heel and was prescribed rehabilitation by his podiatrist. Thus, the 26-year-old decided to opt out of his commitments with SRH.
“He (Hasaranga) is not taking part in the IPL as he needs to do some rehabilitation after meeting the podiatrist. There’s a swelling in the heel and he has been playing with injections. So he has decided to get this issue sorted out before the World Cup and informed us of his decision to skip the IPL this year,” Sportskeeda reported Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva as telling The Sunday Times.
According to reports, Hasaranga intends to travel to Dubai to meet with an expert.
Hasaranga’s suspension by ICC
Hasaranga, who had retired from Tests in August last year, was named in Sri Lanka’s 17-man squad for the two-Test series against Bangladesh in March. He decided to revoke his retirement after being suspended by the ICC for breaching ‘the threshold of eight demerit points, which, pursuant to article 7.6 of the Code, have been converted into four suspension points’ in his latest offence during the third ODI against Bangladesh.
“Hasaranga was found guilty of breaching article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match’,” the ICC said on its website.
The spinner “snatched his cap” from one of the on-field umpires and also “ridiculed” the umpiring in the contest, the ICC said.
“He received a 50 per cent fine and accumulated three demerit points for his offense. This brought his total demerit points to eight in a 24-month period,” the ICC said.
Hasaranga already had five demerit points three of which were docked in the third T20I against Afghanistan in Dambulla last month. He was also suspended for two T20Is against Bangladesh.
“Now, with the addition of the latest demerit points, he has breached the threshold of eight demerit points, which, pursuant to article 7.6 of the Code, have been converted into four suspension points,” the ICC said.
“The four suspension points equate to a ban from two Tests or four ODIs or T20Is, whatever comes first Hasaranga will therefore miss the two ICC World Test Championship Tests against Bangladesh,” the governing body added. Had Hasaranga not come out of retirement for the Tests, he would have missed Sri Lanka’s first four games at the T20 World Cup. So many saw SLC’s decision to include Hasaranga in the Test squad as a strategy to get him available for the World Cup campaign.
