Star Sri Lankan batter Danushka Gunathilaka, who represented the Islanders in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, has been arrested in Sydney in the early hours of Sunday (November 6) from the team hotel on charges of an alleged sexual assault. The 31-year-old has appeared in all three formats for Sri Lanka.
After the news became public, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board issued a statement regarding Gunathilaka's arrest. Earlier, the New South Wales police, on its website, mentioned about the arrest of an unnamed Sri Lankan national. The report said, "Sex Crimes Squad detectives have charged a Sri Lankan national following an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a woman in Sydney's east last week. The woman met with the man after communicating with him for a number of days via an online dating application; it's alleged he then sexually assaulted her on the evening of Wednesday 2."
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The Sri Lanka cricket board, in its statement, said, "Sri Lanka Cricket confirms that it was notified by the ICC that player Danushka Gunathilaka has been arrested on the allegations of sexual assault of a woman in Sydney, and Mr Gunathilaka is due to appear in court tomorrow (7 November 2022)". The statement further said, "SLC will closely monitor the proceedings in court and, in consultation with the ICC, will expeditiously initiate a thorough inquiry into the matter and take stern action against the player if found guilty".
