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The Sri Lankan Cricket has had a dramatic last few months both on and off the field. While their performances against Bangladesh, England and India have been embarrassing to say the least, the never-ending pay dispute saga between players and the board has also become quite ugly. Amidst all this, things went absolutely downhill for the national cricket team.
The trio of Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka had reportedly breached bio-bubble protocols in England. As soon as the news got confirmed, all three of them were called back to Sri Lanka on an immediate basis midway through the tour. They were also suspended for the white-ball series against India and it was announced that they will face a disciplinary inquiry very soon.
Inquiry to take place on July 29
The disciplinary inquiry is set to take place on July 29 (Thursday) where the fate of the Sri Lankan trio will be decided. SLC has appointed 5-member panel which will conduct the inquiry in order to ascertain whether Dickwella, Mendis and Gunathilaka were guilty of violating the protocols set for the players or not.
The 5-member panel which will notably be headed by Nimal Dissanayaka who is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. It has been reported that the three players have already submitted their written apology to the disciplinary committee and have accepted their mistake.
Trio could face 1-year ban
As per the initial reports on the issue, it had been said that the suspended trio could eventually face a lengthy ban from competitive cricket considering they put the entire team and series at risk with their act in England. A ban ranging from 3 months to 12 months could be on the cards if the players are found guilty of violating the rules and instructions given to them on the tour.
However, there is a possibility that they might get away with only a warning depending on how things unfold during the inquiry. Sri Lankan fans would be hoping to get all the three players back in the mix as soon as possible with 2021 T20 World Cup just a few months away.