Sri Lanka Cricket Ban Gunathilaka, Mendis And Dickwella From International Cricket for One Year

The Sri Lanka cricket on Friday handed a one-year ban to the trio of Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwell for breaching the bio-secure bubble on the tour of the UK last month. The cricket board has also imposed a fine of 10 million Sri Lankan rupees on them.

During the England tour, all three cricketers were caught on camera on the streets of Durham which was a bio-bubble breach. As a result, the trio was sent back home midway into the tour. Earlier on Thursday, a disciplinary committee headed by a retired judge had recommended two-year bans for Mendis and Gunathilaka along with an 18-month sanction for Dickwella.

However, a day later, the SLC committee decided to ban them from international cricket for one year, and six months from domestic cricket. There will also be a suspended sentence of one year which will be valid for two years provided there is another transgression from the players.

The three charges that have been brought by the SLC are: “Putting in jeopardy the safety of players by breaching COVID-19 safety guidelines, including instructions of the team management. “Also breaking the team curfew of being in their hotel rooms by 10:30 pm and last but not the least was bringing disrepute to the country and cricket board.”