Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka were all banned by Sri Lanka Cricket for breaching the bio-bubble environment during the series against England.
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Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, and Danushka Gunathilaka’s international and domestic bans were all lifted by Sri Lanka Cricket Board. The bans were imposed on the three players during the tour of England in 2021. A video of the three players had gone viral in which they had breached the bio-secure bubble in Durham. They were smoking and hanging around when the city was in lockdown during the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
The video went viral and Sri Lanka cricket hauled the trio up. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board charged the three players for “jeopardizing the safety of players by breaching Covid-19 safety guidelines”. Mendis, Dickwella, and Gunathilaka were also punished for breaking the team curfew, which was 10:30 pm. The Sri Lanka Board also accused the players for having “brought disrepute to the country and cricket board”.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Sri Lanka Executive Committee imposed a one-year ban on the three players. They were also suspended for six months from any form of domestic cricket. But, the trio’s lifting of the ban means they can now play in away and home series. Sri Lanka play series against Zimbabwe, India, Bangladesh, and Australia.
Sri Lanka Cricket issued a statement stating, “The latest decision was taken following a request made by the three players to Sri Lanka Cricket to lift the ban imposed on them, pursuant to the conclusion of the LPL 2021. Based on such request, Sri Lanka Cricket obtained a report from the doctor appointed by SLC to provide counseling for the three players during their period of suspension.”
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However, the trio can be picked if they manage to achieve the current fitness standards laid out by Sri Lanka cricket. Recently, Bhanuka Rajapaksa retired from international cricket as he reportedly felt that the new standards of fitness maintained by Sri Lanka cricket could compromise his power hitting. Bhanuka Rajapaksa cited family obligations to quit international cricket.
On the other hand, Mendis, Gunathilaka and Dickwella did not play any form of cricket after the tour of England. They missed the ICC World T20 but they got back in action during the Lanka Premier League 2021. Mendis, Gunathilaka and Dickwella all performed well in the LPL tournament.
Gunathilaka ended the season with 476 runs at an average of 59.5 and a strike rate of 144 for the Galle Gladiators. Kusal Mendis was also one of the top scorers in the Lanka Premier League 2021 with 263 runs at an average of 37. Dickwella was one of the top scorers for the Dambulla Giants in the Lanka Premier League
However, with the announcement that the ban was being lifted, Danushka Gunathilaka announced his retirement from Test cricket. He has not played many Tests, with his last in the long-format being in 2018. Gunathilaka made his debut in 2015 but he has been frequently under the pump for disciplinary issues.
The ban has been lifted six months earlier but Sri Lanka Cricket also issued a warning. If the three players ended up with a disciplinary breach in the next two years, then the remainder of the suspension will also kick in. Sri Lanka will play three ODIs against Zimbabwe in Pallekele starting on January 16.
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