45
Sri Lankan cricketer Niroshan Dickwella’s initial three-year suspension for an alleged anti-doping violation has been reduced to three months after a successful appeal.
The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman had initially received the three-year ban after testing positive for cocaine during a doping test conducted by the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) on July 14.
The substance was detected following the Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 tournament, where Dickwella’s team was defeated by the Jaffna Kings in the final. The LPL ran from July 1 to July 21.
After the positive test result, Dickwella faced suspension from all cricketing activities by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and his domestic side, Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC).
However, an appeals committee, chaired by retired judge Upali Samaraweera and including Prof. Asela Mendis and Gimhana Jagodaarachchi, concluded that the drug in question was not linked to enhancing athletic performance and was consumed outside the competition period.
Consequently, the panel recommended reducing Dickwella’s three-year ban to three months, retroactively starting from July 13, 2024.
As a result, Dickwella, who had been barred from all cricketing formats, is now cleared to return to the sport with immediate effect.
