Sri Lanka Cricket to avert 16 players from BPL

Sri Lanka Cricket will not be handing No-Objection Certificates (NOC) to 16 players from taking part in the forthcoming third edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

The SLC authorities will urge its cricketers to play in the upcoming Premier Limited Overs (List A) Tournament at home. Some of the players who have been bought by BPL franchises may also be required for the upcoming Sri Lanka’s Test tour of New Zealand, which begins in early December.

The Bangladesh Premier League runs from November 22 to December 15. The BPL authorities has requested no-objection certificates for 25 Sri Lankan players, but out of those, 17 have central contracts. Nearly 200 foreign players have been drafted for this lucrative tournament

“The centrally-contracted players will not be given permission, because there is a tour of New Zealand for which the players leave on November 27. The board has also taken a decision that all the centrally-contracted players who won’t be on that tour should stay back and play in the domestic tournament, which begins on November 20th.” SLC cricket operations manager Carlton Bernadus has said according to a news report.

List of centrally-contracted Sri Lankan players affected by the NOCs

Shehan Jayasuriya, Isuru Udana, Dilruwan Perera, Dhammika Prasad, Milinda Siriwardana, Binura Fernando, Ajantha Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Niroshan Dickwella, Prasanna Jayawardene, Ashan Priyanjan, Sachith Pathirana, Sachithra Senanayake, Seekkuge Prasanna, Upul Tharanga, Jeewan Mendis*

Other list of Sri Lankan players invited for the BPL

Chamara Kapugedera, Dilshan Munaweera, Tharanga Paranavitana, Kosala Kulasekara, Chaturanga de Silva, Farveez Maharoof, Dhananjaya de Silva.

“The board has invested in the players, we have enhanced the fees to 7000 rupees per match day. If our domestic cricket is not played properly, where are we going?” Bernardus said. He further stated that the respective clubs were responsible for releasing cricketers who are outside the SLC contracts.

Jeevan Mendis has received special permission from Tamil Union Cricket Club to play in the BPL even though he is a contracted player.