The Srilankan Cricket found themselves humiliated last month when the Srilankan team was touring England for limited-overs cricket. Srilanka lost the ODIs and the T20 series as well but what was even more embarrassing was the bio bubble breach by their 3 main players. Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella breached the COVID-19 protocols ahead of the ODI series. The three Srilanka cricketers were immediately banned from the series and called back home.
The players were specifically instructed to not go towards Durham’s City Centre but the trio was found there. Later, the three cricketers themselves confessed to the Srilanka Cricket board about the breach.
A 5-member panel was set up to conduct the disciplinary action regarding the incident. The panel included Justice Nimal Dissanayaka (Retired Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka), Major General (Retired) M. R. W. De Zoysa, Panduka Keerthinanda, (Attorney-at-Law), Asela Rekawa (Attorney-at-Law) and Uchitha Wickremasinghe (Attorney-at-Law).
On Thursday, the committee recommended an 18-month ban for Dickwella and a two-year ban for Mendis and Gunathilaka both. The decision was pending approval from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Executive Committee. The Srilanka Cricket committee, on Friday, decided to ban the three cricketers for one year from International Cricket and for 6 months from Domestic Cricket. A fine of 10 million Srilanka Rupees was also imposed on the Cricketers.
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Stuart Broad reacts to the Ban imposed on the Srilankan Cricketers
The England Pacer, Stuart Broad, who is generally very active on social media reacted to a post related to the incident. “Year ban for that?!”, Broad exclaimed. Broad’s shocking reaction is very understandable. The T20 World Cup is just around the corner and the Srilanka Cricket Board’s decision of banning three of their main players might be a blunder.
Despite the one-year ban, there will also be a suspended sentence of one year. It will be valid for two years. If the Srilanka Cricket Board finds the players doing another misdemeanour within this period, the suspended sentence will come into action.