Following his arrest in Sydney early on Sunday for allegedly sexually assaulting a 29-year-old woman earlier in the week, Danushka Gunathilaka, the 31-year-old left-handed batter, was suspended from all forms of cricket by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) executive committee and a three-member panel was formed to investigate the incident.

The team manager will be questioned right away by the panel regarding the behaviour of the cricket player and the course of events.

After Sri Lanka’s elimination from the ICC T20 World Cup, Gunathilaka was just about to board a plane for home when police took him off of the team bus on Sunday morning.

Based on New South Wales Police department statement, the cricketer was communicating with a woman for a few days “via an online dating app before they met in person”. He then allegedly sexually assaulted her on the evening of November 2. Gunathilaka faces four counts of rape.

“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce the appointment of a three-member investigation panel consisting of Justice Sisira Ratnayake (Retired High Court Judge), Mr. Niroshana Perera, Attorney-at-Law, and Mr. Asela Rekawa, Attorney-at-Law, to initiate an inquiry into the alleged incident involving player Danushka Gunathilaka,” said SLC in a statement on Tuesday.

“The committee will also focus the inquiry on various alleged incidents that have come to the attention of Sri Lanka Cricket and that are said to have allegedly taken place during the national team’s stay in Australia. The panel in this process will call for an immediate explanation from the Team Manager pertaining to his conduct, with references to the occurrence of such incidents,” said the statement.

“Upon submission of the said report by the Panel, the Executive Committee of Sri Lanka Cricket will take stern disciplinary action against the players and or officials if proved any wrongdoing or negligence when carrying out official duties,” the statement noted.

Gunathilaka, who was ruled out of the T20 World Cup in the first round itself with a hamstring injury, was replaced in the squad, but the cricketer — who has played eight Tests, 47 ODIs and 46 T20Is — remained with the side during its campaign.

SLC has also said it will provide all possible support to the Australian law-enforcement agencies to carry out an impartial inquest.

“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to emphasise that it adopts a zero tolerance policy for any such conduct by a player and will provide all the required support to the Australian law-enforcement authorities to carry out an impartial inquiry into the incident,” an earlier statement had said.

(inputs from IANS)