Wanindu Hasaranga denied NOC, pulls out of The Hundred

The Sri Lanka international was due to represent Manchester Originals

The Cricketer | 04/08/2022 at 18:03

Wanindu Hasaranga has been forced to pull out of The Hundred after being denied a no-objection certificate (NOC) by Sri Lanka Cricket.

The Sri Lanka allrounder was due to represent Manchester Originals after being drafted for £100,000.

SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo the board turned down the request to ensure Hasaranga is "physically and mentally fresh" ahead of the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup.

The Asia Cup is scheduled to run from August 27 to September 11 in the UAE while Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup campaign gets underway against Namibia on October 16 in Geelong.

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^{Tristan Stubbs is understood to have been lined up as a replacement [Henry Browne/Getty Images]}

It is understood that South Africa international Tristan Stubbs is being lined up as a replacement signing.

The 21-year-old is by no means a like-for-like replacement, playing as a wicketkeeper-batter rather than a spin-bowling allrounder, but boasts an eye-catching strike rate of 164.56 in T20 cricket and smashed 72 runs off 28 balls against England in July.

With spinners Tom Hartley, Matt Parkinson and Calvin Harrison already on Manchester Originals' roster, it's not an area where they are short of depth.

Manchester Originals are due to get their Hundred campaign underway on August 5 when they take on Northern Superchargers at Emirates Old Trafford.