Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has taken the decision to lift the ban on cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, reinstating his eligibility for national selection. The ban had been imposed on the batter in the wake of accusations involving sexual intercourse without consent during the 2022 T20 World Cup held in Australia.

Gunathilaka had been part of Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign and featured in a match against Namibia, but his performance saw him dismissed for a score of 0. Subsequently, he faced an injury that led to his sidelining, even though he remained with the team in Australia. Follow your favourite cricket team with attractive betting odds from Nextbet. 

Following legal proceedings related to the sexual assault allegations, Gunathilaka has been acquitted of all charges in the District Court of New South Wales, Australia. He returned to Sri Lanka earlier this month, paving the way for his reinstatement in the world of cricket.

An official statement from SLC reads:

“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.”

Gunathilaka had initially faced charges, including four counts of rape. However, the prosecution dropped these charges before the trial, ultimately pursuing the case based on the offense known as “stealthing” – the removal of a condom during sexual activity without consent. Gunathilaka pleaded not guilty and underwent a four-day trial that ended in his acquittal.

Judge Sarah Huggett, presiding over the case, noted that based on the evidence presented, there was no opportunity for Gunathilaka to remove the condom as the intercourse was continuous. Furthermore, the judge rejected claims by the prosecution that Gunathilaka deliberately provided incorrect statements during police interrogations. Instead, the judge suggested that the cricketer’s responses could have been due to factors such as confusion, fatigue, language barriers, and memory lapses.

With his ban lifted, Danushka Gunathilaka, aged 32, can now look forward to resuming his cricketing career. He has represented Sri Lanka in eight Test matches, 47 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 46 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), offering hope for his return to the national squad in the future. Get free cricket betting tips from Nextbet.