The Sri Lankan Cricket Board on Monday has confirmed the suspension of its international player Danushka Gunathilaka from all forms of cricket with immediate effect and that it will not consider him for any selections here forth. The batter was arrested and charged with sexual assault in Australia.
Danushka had been taken to Sydney City Police Station after being arrested at his hotel room in Sussex Street, Sydney, on Saturday night as a part of an investigation on four counts of alleged sexual assault on a 29-year-old woman. Gunathilaka had supposedly “assaulted [the woman] a number of times while performing sex acts upon her,” according to New South Wales Police Commander Jayne Doherty.
The Sri Lankan team, who were in Australia for their recently-concluded campaign in the 2022 T20 World Cup, have left the country without Gunathilaka. Earlier in the tournament, while the Sri Lankan team broke into the “Super 12” stage of the World Cup, Gunathilaka was ruled out of the line-up due to an “injury”. The New South Wales Police website details a report on an unnamed Sri Lankan national who was arrested for the assault of the said 29-year-old woman. According to the report, she was attacked at a residence in Rose Bay on Wednesday, November 2nd.
"The woman met with the man after communicating with him for a number of days via an online dating application,” the report states.
Gunathilaka had appeared in the Sydney Court on Monday to seek bail in handcuffs. The batter's lawyer, Ananda Amaranath, had sought bail for him but the court denied it. Magistrate Robert Williams noted Gunathilaka had no criminal history, but yet, refused bail to him. Even if the lawyers were to apply to the Supreme Court and if Gunathilaka is granted bail, he will have to remain in Australia "until the case is finalised". As the charges are serious, the procedure could take longer than a year. At the moment, the SLC is footing the legal expenses for Gunathilaka's case.
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