Three Lankan players caught breaching Covid bubble and smoking on England streets

After suffering a whitewash at the hand of the hosts, Sri Lankan cricket suffered a major embarrassment at the hands of three of its players — Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, and Danushka Gunathilaka.

Overnight, a video emerged showing Mendis and Dickwella out in a public place. While Gunathilaka was not seen in the video, the three were believed to have stepped out together.

The touring players had been told they were not allowed to go towards Durham’s City Centre, but the trio did exactly that and admitted to have gone, according to SLC officials.

In the video, shot from a vehicle, Mendis and Dickwella are seen looking around the square and even seen smoking. Although both players have their masks handy, neither of them are seen wearing them.

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The trio have seen been suspended for breaching the team’s bio-bubble on Sunday night and they will be flown back home.

The Kusal Perera-led Sri Lanka lost the T20I series 3-0 and the team strength for the three-match ODI series, commencing on Tuesday (June 29), will be reduced.

“The players have been suspended pending a full inquiry, but have confessed to having gone out,” Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) vice-president Mohan de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “They are being recalled from the tour with immediate effect.”

“The players had been told categorically that they were not allowed to go towards Durham’s City Centre, but that is exactly where the trio have admitted to have gone,” according to SLC officials.

Earlier, Sri Lanka team manager Manuja Kariyapperuma was quoted as saying that the issue was being investigated.

Kariyapperuma said that the area Mendis and Dickwella were seen to be in, does not appear to be in the vicinity of the team hotel in Durham.

On Sunday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had announced that ICC match referee Phil Whitticase — who officiated in the three-match T20I series — had tested positive for COVID-19. Whitticase, along with seven other officials, will not officiate in the three-match ODI series.

“He (Whitticase) will now observe a period of 10-days of self-isolation from 25 June, in accordance with the UK Government’s protocol on quarantine,” ECB stated.