Ex-Sri Lanka white-ball captain Dasun Shanaka, who was fined $ 10,000 (RS. 3 million) by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), for breach of contractual obligations, will have no recourse ‘as of now’ to lodge an appeal against his punishment, SLC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ashley de Silva told The Daily Morning Sports.
He had allegedly feigned an injury to opt out of a local first-class match to play for the Dubai Capitals in the UAE, and following an in-depth inquiry by the SLC Disciplinary Committee, the former all-rounder has been imposed with the aforesaid fine for violation of his contractual obligations.
De Silva said the 33-year-old all-rounder who has not represented his country since the home T20I series against India last July, has been officially informed to pay the full amount by 28 February.
“So far there is no recourse for an appeal,” the SLC CEO said. “As per the punishment, the player concerned will have to pay the fine imposed on him by the stipulated date. If he fails to do so then the SLC Ex-Co will have to recover it from his contract.”
According to the CEO, its Disciplinary Committee had conveyed to Shanaka that they had deemed his actions had violated his contractual obligations linked to professionalism, integrity and adherence to SLC disciplinary code.
It is in that context that the player concerned had been slapped with the said fine and insisted there was no other motive or malice behind it.
The short format star had reportedly left the Sinhalese Sports Club’s three-day match against Moors Sports Club in the first-class Major League Tournament, after completing the first two days of play to turn out for the Dubai Capitals in the UAE on 2 February.
The charge sheet filed against Shanaka-who has won 102 T20I caps, besides featuring in 71 One-Day Internationals for his country, include misleading the match referee Wendell Labrooy, into approving a substitute by faking a concussion.
The cricketer with a controversial streak in him, had also been accused of playing for the Dubai franchise on the evening of 2 February, having submitted a medical certificate earlier that day, which recommended three days of rest, following an injury sustained while batting in the domestic game.
Meanwhile, Shanaka had claimed to ESPNcricinfo, that SLC CEO Ashley de Silva and others had been fully aware that he would have to leave the first-class match early.
According to Shanaka, he had left the ground soon after being dismissed on the third morning of the three-day match.
He had said that he visited a doctor at a nearby hospital first, to inspect a blow to the neck he had sustained while playing a sweep stroke that morning, and then taken off to Dubai to play that evening’s T20, after a separate physio had cleared him to play.
“SLC and the club knew I had to leave,” Shanaka has been quoted as saying. “I only came back because there was a request from the SSC, to play this first-class match. But, my other team wanted me back, as I’d helped to win two games for them earlier in the tournament.”
Shanaka had cracked a century before flying out to Dubai. In a bid to avoid demotion, SCC had recalled three of their Sri Lanka stars from ILT20 for the match against Moors Sports Club in the Major League Tournament.
He had captured a wicket in the 21 overs he bowled on the opening day, before remaining unbeaten on 39 on day two and converted it into a hundred on the final morning, en-route to a 123 off 87 deliveries.
He had then not taken any further part in the game, before resurfacing in the UAE that same evening, where he had scored 34 off 12 balls batting at number five for the Capitals.
He had not bowled in that game either. Subsequently the all-rounder did not return to Colombo, as he had played three more matches in the ILT20 en route to a title haul. (The Morning)
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