Sri Lankan cricketer denied bail in Australia on sexual assault charges, suspended from the sport
- Danushka Gunathilaka was arrested on Sunday at his Sydney hotel and was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent
- The 31-year-old had travelled to Australia as part of Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team but was ruled out with a hamstring tear in the first game
A Sri Lankan cricketer charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Australia remained in jail on Monday after a court declined his bid for bail.
Danushka Gunathilaka was arrested on Sunday at his Sydney hotel and was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The 31-year-old had travelled to Australia as part of Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team.
Sri Lanka Cricket said it was suspending Gunathilaka from all forms of cricket with immediate effect.
Under Australian court rules, not all details of the case can be reported. At the Downing Centre Local Court, Magistrate Robert Williams noted Gunathilaka had no criminal history. But the cricketer’s application for release was later refused by the court.
Outside the court, defence lawyer Ananda Amaranath said the decision was disappointing and his client was considering appealing to the New South Wales state Supreme Court.
Gunathilaka’s bail application was made in a closed court, after the police prosecutor lodged an application to prevent publication of the facts of the case and the indictment against the 31-year-old.