Fearing pullouts , Lanka eases ban on Gunathilaka

Colombo, October 17 

Sri Lanka’s cricket board today halved a six-match ban imposed on all-rounder Danushka Gunathilaka for misconduct, amid speculation that several players may drop out of an upcoming T20 match in Pakistan. 

The board’s decision clears Gunathilaka to play in the three-match series starting on October 26 in the United Arab Emirates. The third match will be played on October 29 in Lahore, where the Sri Lankan team bus came under attack from militants in 2009.

Gunathilaka was suspended for unspecified “misconduct” during Sri Lanka’s humiliating home series thrashing by India in which the Islanders lost 9-0 across three formats. His reprieve comes as players have been expressing concerns in private about the board’s decision to play the final game of the T20 series in Lahore.

A source close to the board said skipper Upul Tharanga and Lasith Malinga were likely to pull out of the entire series due to security cconcerns about the Lahore match. The board announced on Monday that it would go ahead with the tour and “confirmed its commitment to play the third T20” in Lahore after assessments by government agencies, independent security experts and the International Cricket Council. — PTI