Perera's dope-test date clarified by the ICC
Kusal Perera, Sri Lanka’s wicket-keeper batsman, who was provisionally suspended by the ICC after alleged consumption of a ‘prohibited substance’ has been reported by the ICC to have failed the test only on October 12, and not during the Pakistan series.
"The sample Perera provided in an out-of-competition test, which was conducted on 12 October 2015, was found to contain the presence of a Prohibited Substance (in the category of non-Specified Substances)," a statement on the ICC's website said.
Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket had in a statement said that the cricketer had provided the test sample during the Pakistan tour, that happened in June-July. But the ICC clarified that Perera had provided the sample only two days before Sri Lanka’s first Test against the West Indies in Galle.
Jerome Jayaratne, Sri Lanka’s interim coach, had denied the allegations earlier and had said that while Perea did take medications, the team believed that it wasn’t one from the banned list of substances.
Perera has already been withdrawn from the ongoing tour of New Zealand following his suspension and is contemplating on a reply.
Kaushal Silva has flown to New Zealand as a replacement, in a side that has already lost its fast bowling spearhead, Dhammika Prasad due to injury.
In the ongoing 1st Test against the Blackcaps in Dunedin, Sri Lanka were 197/4 at the end of Day two, in reply to New Zealand’s 1st innings score of 431.