Sydney

A couple of weeks after being cleared of sexual assault charges, Sri Lanka Cricketer (SLC) on Tuesday announced it had lifted the ban on cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, making him eligible for national selection again. 

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According to the media release by SLC, Gunathilaka was cleared by an independent inquiry committee after a thorough investigation. 

"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.”

What happened with Gunathilaka?

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It was in November last year during the T20 World Cup that Gunathilaka was arrested on rape charges in Sydney when a woman he met through a dating app levelled the allegations. 

Gunathilaka was originally part of Sri Lanka's squad for the T20 World Cup but was ruled out of the tournament during the first round after suffering a hamstring injury. However, he stayed with the team in Australia while undergoing his recovery when the allegations first surfaced. 

According to reports, the woman alleged that Gunathilaka slapped the woman on the buttocks, forcefully kissed her, bruising her lips in the process and choked her during sex.

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Also read | Sri Lanka's Danushka Gunathilaka cleared of sexual assault charges by Australian court

After the incident was reported to the Sydney Police, Gunathilaka was investigated for four charges, including stealthing. He was arrested at the Hyatt Regency hours before the Sri Lankan cricket team was due to fly out of Australia

During the trial period, Gunathilaka was unable to travel outside Australia and he was also frozen out by the national team. This also resulted in him missing out on the ODI World Cup berth in India. 

However, last month, a court in Sydney acquitted him of the charges with Judge Sarah Huggett noting that the woman was motivated by a desire to paint the cricketer in an unfavourable light

"The evidence establishes that there was no opportunity for the accused to remove the condom during intercourse because that intercourse was continuous," said Huggett.

"I find that the evidence regarding the complaint far from supports the complainant. Rather it undermines the reliability of her evidence," she added. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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