Former Sri Lankan cricketer Dulip Samaraweera has been handed a 20-year ban from holding any position within Cricket Australia or its State or Territory Associations, including any W/BBL teams, after being found guilty of a serious breach of the Code of Conduct, Cricket Australia announced on September 19 (Thursday).


The Conduct Commission determined that Samaraweera violated section 2.23 of Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct through inappropriate behaviour. The incident occurred during his brief tenure as head coach of Cricket Victoria (CV), a role he resigned from in May this year after just two weeks in the position.


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Samaraweera's resignation came after a disagreement regarding a staff appointment that was blocked due to Cricket Victoria's internal policies. Samaraweera, who represented Sri Lanka in seven Tests and five ODIs between 1993 and 1995, had a long tenure as assistant coach for Victoria Women's and the Melbourne Stars WBBL team and earlier this year, he was promoted to the senior coaching role for the Victoria women's team.


The Conduct Was Utterly Reprehensible: Cricket Victoria


Although the full details of the misconduct remain undisclosed, it has been confirmed that Samaraweera's actions were considered 'utterly reprehensible' and inappropriate. Cricket Australia underscored its commitment to protecting player welfare, while Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins praised the victim's courage and resilience.


"We strongly support the decision taken by the Code of Conduct Commission today, banning Dulip Samaraweera for 20 years. It is our view that the conduct was utterly reprehensible and a betrayal of everything we stand for at Cricket Victoria."


“The victim in this case has demonstrated incredible strength of character and courage in speaking up. She will continue to receive our ongoing support to allow her to achieve her goals on and off the field,” Cummins said in a statement.


“The CA integrity department investigates complaints brought to it under integrity codes and policies, which also apply to state and territory associations. We strongly encourage the reporting of inappropriate behaviors, which can be made directly to the CA integrity unit or via the core integrity hotline,” he added.