Sri Lanka Cricket lifts one-year ban on Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has lifted one-year bans which were handed to Danushka Gunathilaka, Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis for breaching the bio-bubble during the team's England tour last year in July. All three players were asked to pay a fine of 10 million rupees for the breach.
The trio were also subjected to public backlash for their actions. This was due to a video of Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella going viral, in which the two were seen roaming the streets of Durham.
According to recent reports, SLC took the call during their executive committee meeting on Friday. The trio will now be available for selection for the team's impending Zimbabwe series given that they meet the required fitness standards.
One-year ban imposed on Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka & Niroshan Dickwella has been lifted. They will be eligible to play during the Zimbabwe tour, subject to meeting required fitness standards.
The board had earlier lifted the three players' domestic cricket ban in October last year. After serving seven months of their ban, they are now eligible to make a return to international cricket.
Zimbabwe's tour of Sri Lanka is scheduled to begin on January 16. The two cricketing nations are set to battle it out in a three-match ODI series. All three fixtures will be played at the Pallekele International Stadium.
Danushka Gunathilaka announces retirement from Test cricket
Sri Lankan opener Danushka Gunathilaka has informed SLC of his decision to hang up his boots from the longer format through a letter. According to a report from NewsWire, the left-hander wants to focus on his fitness levels for limited-overs cricket. Gunathilaka wrote in his letter:
“It has always been an honour to play for my country and I hope to contribute to the best of my ability in the future by continuing to represent Sri Lanka whenever I am called upon to do so."
Gunathilaka has played eight Test matches for Sri Lanka. He has 299 runs to his name in the longer format. The player has an underwhelming batting average of 18.7 in Test cricket.