Sri Lankan legend tears into SLC over NOC drama ahead of IPL 2026: ‘Suddenly enforce strict standards…’

Sri Lankan bowling great Chaminda Vaas slammed Sri Lanka Cricket amid the ongoing drama surrounding No Objection Certificates for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. Vaas’s criticism comes at a time when multiple IPL-bound players have been left stranded in the island nation after being denied NOCs for the 19th season of the world’s biggest T20 league.

The latest such case involving Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Nuwan Thushara, who is set to miss the season-opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru on Saturday and could be sidelined for even longer period.

SLC had announced earlier this month that players would be granted an NOC for the IPL only after passing a mandatory physical performance test, besides conducting a “specialised physical training program” spanning eight weeks for all centrally-contracted players.

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Delhi Capitals teammates Dushmantha Chameera and Pathum Nissanka and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Kamindu Mendis and Eshan Malinga have been granted NOCs, and have joined their respective franchises in neighbouring India.

RCB’s Thushara, however, has been denied clearance by the board after failing the test, according to ESPNCricinfo. The 31-year-old thus joins Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Matheesha Pathirana and Rajasthan Royals spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga in facing a period of uncertainty as the IPL rolls on without them, for now.

Vaas slams SLC’s ‘poor planning’ ahead of IPL

Vaas, however, wasn’t too pleased with SLC’s behaviour, describing it as “poor planning” while accusing the Sri Lankan board of ignoring fitness standards “for the past four years.

“SLC ignored fitness standards over the past 4 years. Fitness in modern cricket is crucial. But you can’t ignore it for years and then suddenly enforce strict standards just before the IPL.A player missing out now feels more like poor planning than discipline,” the legendary pacer, who had collected 400 and 355 wickets for Sri Lanka in ODIs and Tests respectively, wrote on X on Thursday.

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SLC ignored fitness standards over the past 4 years. Fitness in modern cricket is crucial. But you can’t ignore it for years and then suddenly enforce strict standards just before the IPL.A player missing out now feels more like poor planning than discipline.

— Chaminda Vaas (@chaminda_vaas) March 26, 2026

SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva had claimed in the report that Thushara, who has just one competitive appearance to his credit this year – against Pakistan on 7 January – had failed to obtain the pass score of 17 out of 29 points across five different metrics in order to pass the test.

Thushara, however, will be eligible to take the test again after a gap of four to five days. And should he fail to clear it again, he might be barred from playing any representative cricket in the near future.