‘We know how it looks’: SLC after Hasaranga’s unretirement raises eyebrows

Following Wanindu Hasaranga’s Test retirement U-turn and subsequent suspension from the upcoming Bangladesh Tests, Sri Lanka Cricket has denied using any technical loopholes to have their premier leg-spinner and T20 captain ready for the ICC T20 World Cup in June, as per an ESPNcricinfo report.  

Hasaranga was handed a suspension by the ICC on Tuesday based on his altercation with the on-field umpire during the third and final ODI against hosts Bangladesh on the day before

The 26-year-old accumulated a total of eight demerit points with that incident, leading to a suspension of two Tests, or four ODIs or as many T20Is.

Right after the game on Monday and before the ICC could serve the sanction, Hasaranga – who last played a Test in 2021 and has since been heavily involved in the shorter formats and franchise cricket – announced that he was coming out of retirement for the Bangladesh Tests.

By serving the ban through these two Tests, Hasaranga not have to miss any match in the T20 World Cup in June.

However, Ajantha Mendis, a member of Sri Lanka’s selection committee, denied using such measures and revealed that Hasaranga had told about a return to red-ball cricket before ICC’s sanction.

“It was about two weeks ago that he told us he was open to playing Tests again,” Mendis told ESPNcricinfo. “We know how it looks, but this decision was taken well before the final ODI.”

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