LAHORE: Sri Lanka’s Dasun Shanaka has been banned from the Pakistan Super League 2027 after being found guilty of breaching the Player Registration terms and the Tripartite Agreement.

The PCB said in a statement that a review concluded Shanaka’s unilateral withdrawal from the tournament on 21 March constituted a clear breach of both the Player Registration terms and the Tripartite Agreement, on grounds not recognised within the existing contractual framework. While the board took note of his expressions of regret and stated passion for playing in Pakistan, the severity of the contractual violations necessitated regulatory action to maintain the integrity and exclusivity of the league.

Shanaka expressed his regret, saying he deeply regretted his decision to withdraw and offered his sincere apologies to the people of Pakistan, PSL fans and the wider cricket community. He clarified that at the time of his withdrawal he had no intention of joining any other tournament, and expressed hope of returning to the PSL in future with renewed dedication and the trust of the fans.

Shanaka subsequently replaced England allrounder Sam Curran in the Rajasthan Royals side in the Indian Premier League on 23 March at approximately $275,000 — after Lahore Qalandars had acquired him for just $27,000 at the PSL Player Auction.

Shanaka is the second player this year and third overall to be banned for breaching contracts. Last week, the PCB imposed a two-year ban on Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani for his “failure to honor agreed-upon commitments.”

Muzarabani’s agent Rob Humphries termed the suspension “incredibly excessive” and argued the fast bowler had not breached any contract, calling on the PCB to review the decision.

Humphries explained that on February 13, Muzarabani was approached by Islamabad United about a playing opportunity for PSL 2026, with the deal agreed subject to obtaining a No Objection Certificate from Zimbabwe Cricket — which, he noted, cannot be obtained without a formal contract from the PSL. He pointed out that Islamabad United announced the signing on social media before any contract was issued.

“You simply cannot breach a contract you have never received,” Humphries said, adding that any ban was inconsistent with punishments given to players who had actually breached contracts in the past. He urged the PSL to withdraw the ban and accept the situation as an administrative error, adding that they bore no grudges toward the PSL or Islamabad United.

According to reports, while the PCB has acknowledged that no contract was sent to Muzarabani, it has refused to lift the ban, instead using a verbal agreement as grounds for the suspension. Notably, the pacer was not part of the PSL players’ auction and had no formal contract with Islamabad United.

Apart from Muzarabani and Shanaka, Australia’s left-arm pacer Spencer Johnson also withdrew from PSL 2026 to join Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2026 as a replacement for injured Nathan Ellis.

Last year, South Africa’s Corbin Bosch was suspended from the current edition after breaching his contract with Peshawar Zalmi to sign with Mumbai Indians.