The independent inquiry committee appointed by Sri Lanka Cricket has recommended the complete lifting of the suspension imposed on Danushka Gunathilaka on November 22 following his detention and allegations related to an alleged sexual assault in Australia. Following a meeting on October 13, the executive committee of the SLC ratified the recommendation and cautioned Gunathilaka “to always uphold his status as a representative of the nation in all future actions.”
Last year, Gunathilaka was detained on the margins of the Twenty20 World Cup after a woman accused him of unconsented sexual contact. In Australia, he had travel restrictions for eleven months. The prosecution withdrew four counts of rape prior to trial, and the court only considered one count of “theft.”
Gunathilaka pled not guilty, endured a four-day trial before Judge Sarah Huggett in the Downing Centre District Court, and was acquitted in the end. He is now eligible to return to national duty and can resume his cricketing activities.
“After careful evaluation of Mr. Gunathilaka’s exoneration and with due consideration to his cricketing career and its impact on the cricketing ambitions of the nation, the Inquiry Panel, headed by Retired High Court Judge, Sisira Ratnayake, Mr. Niroshana Perera, Attorney at Law and Mr. Asela Rekawa Attorney at Law, unanimously recommended an immediate lifting of his cricketing ban, allowing him to resume regular cricket activities and return to national duty,” the SLC media release stated.
