Who is Danushka Gunathilaka, the Sri Lankan batsman arrested for sexual assault in Australia?
Why is everyone talking about Danushka Gunathilaka, the Sri Lankan batsman? Aren’t Sri Lanka already out of the T20 World Cup after they lost to England on November 5?
It’s not about the Sri Lankan team. It is about Gunathilaka himself. He has been charged with a serious crime by the police in Australia.
Whoa! What did he do?
Police landed up in the Sri Lankan team hotel in Sydney’s central business district in the early hours of Sunday (November 6) and arrested Gunathilaka for alleged sexual assault. Police are investigating reports of a sexual assault on a 29-year-old woman at a private residence in Rose Bay, a suburb of Sydney.
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Do we know any specifics yet?
According to a statement from the New South Wales Police quoted by ESPNCricinfo, “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 November 2022.”
The statement said that after a crime scene examination by specialist police — described in Australian media reports as detectives from the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad and Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command — “a 31-year-old man was arrested at a hotel on Sussex Street, Sydney, shortly before 1 am today (Sunday 6 November 2022)”.
Cricket player Danushka Gunathilaka has been arrested and charged today accused of raping a young woman in Sydney. It’s alleged the 31-year-old Sri Lankan cricketer was communicating with the woman for several days via a dating app before they met up in person. @RuthWW #9News pic.twitter.com/4aq6R6v9Yn — 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) November 6, 2022
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) subsequently issued a statement confirming the identity of the player as Gunathilaka.
A report on Fox Sports Australia quoted Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty as saying, “They met for prearranged drinks, had something to eat and went back to the woman’s home. The woman had taken all precautions, she met in a public place, it was just unfortunate.”
What has happened since the arrest?
According to the police statement, Gunathilaka was “taken to Sydney City Police Station and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The Sri Lankan national was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Bail Court via AVL
today.”
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The SLC 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 SLC would “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”, the statement said.
How did Gunathilaka do in the T20 World Cup?
He played only one game — against Namibia in Round 1 on October 16, the first day of the tournament. He got out to a first-ball duck in the match, which Namibia won by 55 runs. He then suffered a hamstring injury and could not play any further in the tournament, but remained with the team.
Gunathilaka’s ESPNCricinfo profile describes him as a “poised, attacking left-handed opener” who is “strong square of the wicket, particularly on the off side”. He is also a right-arm off-break bowler, who, the profile says, admires Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan legend. Gunathilaka has played eight Test matches, 47 ODIs and 46 T20Is for Sri Lanka since making his international debut in November 2015.
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