New Delhi: Sri Lanka Cricket has suspended Danushka Gunathilaka after the rape charges in Australia. He is suspended from all forms of cricket with immediate effect after he was charged and arrested for rape. Suffering from a hamstring injury, the batter was ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but he stayed in Australia.
In an official statement, SLC said that the Executive Committee has decided to suspend Gunathilaka and will not be considered for any further selections. they acknowledged that the cricketer has been charged with the sexual assault of a woman in Sydney. The committee also asked for an inquiry into the matter and if the player is found guilty, he will be penalised.
The cricketer attended the court hearing via video call in Downing Centre Local Court from Surry Hills cells, where he was denied bail. According to an Australian media outlet, Gunathilaka was handcuffed during the proceedings. His lawyer said that they are considering going to the Supreme Court.
According to the website of the New South Wales Police, a 29-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at a residence by a Sri Lankan, which came out to be Danushka Gunathilaka. He was arrested from a hotel on Sussex Street in Sydney. SLC previously issued a statement saying that they will closely follow the court proceedings.
Danushka Gunathilaka has represented Sri Lanka in Tests, 47 ODIs and 46 T20Is, scoring a total of 2641 runs in the international arena. After the injury, he was replaced by Ashen Bandara in the squad.
