Gunathilaka's ban lifted after legal victory; cleared for cricket return

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said on Tuesday it has ratified an independent committee's recommendation to lift a ban imposed on batter Danushka Gunathilaka, who was cleared of a sexual assault charge last month.

Gunathilaka was found not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in Sydney when he was in Australia last year for the Twenty20 World Cup. The 32-year-old had been suspended from all forms of cricket by the SLC immediately after his arrest.

The SLC said in a statement on Tuesday that an independent committee had recommended a full lifting of the ban on Gunathilaka with "due consideration to his cricketing career and its impact on the cricketing ambitions of the nation".

"The Executive Committee of the SLC, at its meeting held on 13th October 2023, has ratified this recommendation," it added.

"They have also cautioned Mr. Gunathilaka to always uphold his status as a representative of the nation in all his future actions."

Gunathilaka last played for Sri Lanka in a first-round match against Namibia at the T20 World Cup in October 2022.