Sri Lankan cricket star has been suspended for a doping violation. The news has been confirmed by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) which said that the cricketer would remain suspended "until further notice". Notably, the test was conducted during the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2024 and the cricket player in question happens to be the Galle Marvels captain Niroshan Dickwella who has not met with the guidelines set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
"SLC, together with the Ministry of Sports and SLADA, conducts these tests during domestic tournaments randomly to safeguard the sport against anti-doping violations," said an official statement released by Sri Lankan Cricket.
"The commitment to a clean and fair game is of utmost importance to SLC, and any allegations of violations are taken with the highest level of seriousness," it added.
Not The First Time That Dickwella Has Been Suspended
It is pertinent to note that this is not the first time that the wicketkeeper-batter has been suspended by SLC. Earlier Dickwella along with Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka breached the bio-bubble during their series against England in 2021 which was played keeping in mind the COVID-19 protocol. The three Sri Lankan players were seen on the streets of Durham during the white-ball series, putting other players playing in the series at serious risk of contracting the infection.
The players involved were slapped a fine and a suspension of one year from international cricket and six months from domestic cricket. The 31-year-old last donned Sri Lankan colours in 2023.