Suspended Sri Lankan players may return to competitive cricket

Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka

• Depending on counselling report, SLC may consider lifting domestic cricket ban

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

There is a possibility of the domestic ban imposed on Sri Lankan cricketers Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka being lifted, provided they show progressive reports on the mandatory counselling they have been asked to undergo.

The three players received a one-year ban from international cricket and a six-month ban from domestic cricket apart from being fined Rs. 10 million each and a one-year suspended ban from international cricket for a period of two years by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). They were also directed to mandatory counselling under a doctor recommended by SLC.

Mendis, Dickwella and Gunathilaka were found guilty of breaching the COVID-19 virus team bubble on Sunday night (27 June) wandering the streets of Durham city during Sri Lanka’s cricket tour to England. Following an inquiry into the incident, the three players were subsequently punished by SLC.

Since the sentence, the trio had appealed against their suspension to SLC who has directed them for counselling for three months before taking a decision whether to reduce the suspension.

SLC sources said that the reports they receive from the doctor conducting the counselling – Dr. Chamara Wijesinghe, Consultant Psychiatrist at Nawaloka Hospital – would be reviewed before a decision is taken whether to lift the six-month ban on domestic cricket.

The players are expected to visit the doctor once a week for a period of three months.

The one-year international ban however would remain along with the further one-year ban from international cricket suspended for a period of two years and the fine of Rs. 10 million.

“If they receive good progressive reports, we may consider lifting the domestic ban,” the source added.

Depending on the time frame, the banned cricketers could mark their return to competitive cricket from the second edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), which is scheduled to commence on 4 December. 

All three players have records of misconduct in the past, especially Gunathilaka, who has had a series of disciplinary issues, where he has twice been reprimanded by the ICC for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct in 2018 and 2021, and suspended from international cricket by SLC in 2017 and 2018, and was censured for indecent behavior in April this year and directed to attend mandatory counselling for a year.