Sri Lanka Cricket lifts ban on Danushka Gunathilaka and is available for selection

Danushka Gunathilaka was acquitted by an Australian court on charges of stealthing and sexual assault.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have lifted the ban on cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka, making him eligible for national selection again. This was done on the recommendation of an independent committee on November 22.

The cricketer was detained during the T20 World Cup last year when a woman accused him of engaging in sexual activity without her consent. Gunathilaka featured in the World Cup clash against Namibia and was dismissed for 0. He was subsequently ruled out due to injury but was with the team in Australia.

In Australia, he had travel restrictions on him for 11 months. Only one count of "stealthing" was taken up by the court out of the four rape counts that were brought against him but were later dropped by the prosecution before the trial.

Gunathilaka pleaded not guilty, faced a four-day trial in front of Judge Sarah Huggett in the Downing Centre District Court, and was eventually acquitted.

Danushka Gunathilaka cautioned to uphold his status as representative of his country in the future

Gunathilaka was cleared of all charges brought against him in the District Court of New South Wales, Australia, following the trial in the sexual assault case. This month, he visited Sri Lanka once more. The recommendation was ratified by the executive committee of SLC following a meeting on October 13, with a caution to Gunathilaka "to always uphold his status as a representative of the nation in all his future actions."

According to a SLC press release on the subject it read, "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."

32-years-old Gunathilaka has represented Sri Lanka in eight tests, 47 ODIs, and 46 T20Is.