On Tuesday, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) removed the suspension that had been placed on Danushka Gunathilaka after he faced a sexual assault accusation in Australia. This decision clears the path for the left-handed batsman to join the national team once again.
In November 2022, the cricketer faced charges of alleged sexual assault while he was in Australia as part of Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad. He was taken into custody after a woman implied charges against him.
The 32-year-old cricketer initially faced four counts of rape charges, but these charges were subsequently dropped by the prosecution before reaching trial.
“…the Independent Inquiry Committee appointed by SLC, which was tasked with investigating the impact of the criminal allegations against Mr. Danushka Gunathilaka in Australia, has recommended a full lifting of the ban imposed on him in November 2022 following Mr. Gunathilaka’s acquittal from all charges filed in the District Court of New South Wales and his return to Sri Lanka on 3rd October 2023,” a release said.
“He would now be able to return to national duty,” it added.
Gunathilaka entered a plea of not guilty and underwent a four-day trial, which ultimately resulted in his acquittal of all the charges brought against him in the District Court of New South Wales. He subsequently returned to Sri Lanka on October 3 of this year.
Gunathilaka entered a plea of not guilty and underwent a four-day trial, which ultimately resulted in his acquittal of all the charges brought against him in the District Court of New South Wales.
‘If You Want To Win The World Cup, Then You Have To Beat…’, Gautam Gambhir Comes With An Interesting Analysis
“This suspension was pending the outcome of legal proceedings and was imposed considering the impact of his actions on the reputation of cricket and the country,” the SLC statement read.
“After careful evaluation of Mr. Gunathilaka’s exoneration and with due consideration to his cricketing career and its impact on the cricketing ambitions of the nation, the Inquiry Panel, headed by Retired High Court Judge, Sisira Ratnayake, Mr. Niroshana Perera, Attorney at Law and Mr. Asela Rekawa, Attorney at Law, unanimously recommended an immediate lifting of his cricketing ban, allowing him to resume regular cricket activities and return to national duty.”
