SLC LIFTS INTERNATIONAL BAN ON DURHAM BUBBLE-BREACHERS
Mendis, Dickwella and Gunathilaka eligible for international cricket
The one-year international cricket ban handed to Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, and Danushka Gunathilaka, for breaching bio-bubble protocols in Durham during the tour of England last year, was lifted yesterday, making the trio immediately available to return to the national team.
SLC said the decision to lift the suspension handed to them last July, with effectively only half the ban served to date, was subsequent to a request made by all three players following the conclusion of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) last month.
At least one of the three could return as early as next week when Sri Lanka hosts Zimbabwe in an ODI series, particularly considering that Sri Lanka are a man short in the limited over formats following Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s surprise international retirement earlier this week.
If Sri Lanka do decide to fill that void with one of the three re-instated cricketers, Mendis is likely to be the first choice, given his excellent form during the LPL, where he finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer.
As part of their reintegration, the trio will also undergo fitness tests this morning along with the extended training squad, which the Daily Mirror learns totals 29 to be pruned down to an 18-member final squad.
The 18 players who are selected will then report for PCR tests in the afternoon.
“They (the players who have been selected for the Zimbabwe series) have been asked to report to SLC in the afternoon, and the tests will be conducted between 1.30 and 2.30 at the Sports Medicine Centre,” an SLC source revealed.
“The players will have no training sessions in Colombo and the squad is scheduled to leave for Kandy and join bio-bubble directly on January 10. The visiting Zimbabwe team is also arriving on Sunday/monday and will leave for Kandy directly from the Colombo airport,” the source further added.
The players’ second PCR tests will be done in Kandy, scheduled for January 13.
Though the ban has been lifted, it remains suspended for two years, which means any further infractions could result in a reimposing of the ban.
“Based on such a request (made by the three players), Sri Lanka Cricket obtained a report from the Doctor, appointed by SLC to provide counselling for the three players during their period of suspension. Upon consideration of the said report submitted by the Doctor, the Executive Committee of the SLC decided at a meeting...to remove the suspension of the said three players,” an SLC media release read.
SLC said the conduct of the three cricketers will be closely monitored.
While the return of Mendis and Dickwella will bolster Sri Lanka in all three formats, Gunathilaka is believed to have made himself available only for the white ball teams, having reportedly informed SLC of his retirement from Test cricket.
Gunathilaka last featured in a Test in 2018, with his overall contributions in the longer format not quite as prolific as in limited overs cricket, having scored 299 runs in eight matches.