Sri Lankan batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been handed a one-year ban from all formats of the game as well as slapped a fine of USD 5000 by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for breaching the player contract.
Rajapaksa is currently on probation for two years, having been handed a one-year ban as a suspended sentence for breaching “the obligations of Player Contract 2019-2020 while appearing in social and other media interviews.”
The 29-year-old has been publicly protesting his continued omission from the Sri Lanka team, most recently for the tour of England, though; he was omitted because of his substandard fielding, and poor fitness and weight management.
Despite the punishment by the SLC, the left-hander has been named in Sri Lanka’s 13-man training squad for the upcoming limited-overs series – three ODIs and as many as T20Is – against India starting on July 13.
After clearing the fitness test, Bhanuka is currently undergoing training in Colombo, under a bio-secure environment, with a focus on future tours.
The SLC said a statement on Monday (July 5): “National player Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been handed a one-year ban from all forms of cricket, which is suspended for two years and fined USD 5,000 after an inquiry found that the player has breached the obligations of Player Contract 2019/2020 while appearing in Social and other Media Interviews.”
The statement further reads, “In the meantime, a decision has been taken to draft Rajapaksa into the 13-member squad, currently undergoing training in Colombo, under a Bio-Bubble focusing on future tours. The decision was taken after Rajapaksa having achieved the required fitness levels, which is one of the prerequisites for national selections. He is expected to join the bio-bubble tomorrow (July 6).”
Noteworthy, Rajapaksa has so far played 7 T20Is while his last appearance for Sri Lanka came against India in Indore in 2020.
(With IANS Inputs)
