Sri Lanka cricketers, who breached the team’s bio-bubble and were casually seen roaming around a Durham marketplace, have been suspended and are being sent back home immediately, board’s secretary Mohan De Silva confirmed. Images and videos of vice-captain Kusal Mendis and wicketkeeper-batsman emerged earlier in the day on social media and went viral. Danushka Gunathilaka, who was not seen in the video, has also been suspended.
“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to inform that Vice-Captain Kusal Mendis, Wicket Keeper – Batsman Niroshan Dickwella, and Batsman Danushka Gunathilaka will be flown back to Sri Lanka, with immediate effect. This decision was taken following a preliminary inquiry conducted over a Video posted on Social Media in which the said three players can be seen outside their designated hotel. The decision to recall the players was taken by the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket, based on the ‘Manager’s Report’ on the matter. The three players will be suspended, from all forms of cricket, until the completion of the inquiry” the SLC said in a statement.
Cricket Age was the first to publish the news of the incident in the early morning today, highlighting the bio-secure bubble breach by these three players.
Sri Lanka players were allowed to go out in Cardiff but in Durham the city was out of bounds because of the high number of Covid-19. Also, it is understood that the series is not in any jeopardy at this stage.
Sri Lanka, who were whitewashed in the T20I series, are already facing criticisms from all quarters and the absence of the three first-choice players will dent their campaign further in the upcoming 3-match ODI series. While Mendis registered scores of 9, 39 and 6 in the T20Is in Cardiff and Southampton, Dickwella managed 3 and 11 runs in the two matches he featured. Kusal Perera’s team were comprehensively beaten by 8 wickets in the 1st T20I before again losing by 5 wickets and 89 runs in the last 2 fixtures.
The defeat led to former greats such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Roshan Mahanama, Hashan Thilakaratne and Tillekaratne Dilshan expressing dismay at the poor performance.
Sri Lanka will play the first of three ODIs with England tomorrow at Chester le Street.
