Former Sri Lanka opening batsman Dulip Samaraweera has been banned from coaching in Australia for 20 years after engaging in inappropriate behaviour during his employment with Cricket Victoria.
According to a report by sports website Cricinfo, the former Sri Lankan player has been found guilty of a serious breach of the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct Act.
Cricket Australia termed Dulip Samaraweera’s conduct as reprehensible and imposed a 20-year ban, during which the Sri Lankan player will not be given any responsibility in Cricket Australia.
Dulip Samaraweera, 52, was banned after Cricket Australia’s integrity department completed an investigation.
Dulip Samaraweera, who represented Sri Lanka in 7 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1993 to 1995, was a long-time assistant coach for Victoria Women and Melbourne Stars in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL). Earlier in the year, he was promoted to the senior coaching position on the Victoria Women’s team.
According to the report, Dulip Samaraweera breached Section 2.23 of Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct.
Victorian Cricket Chief Executive Officer Nick Cummins condemned the Sri Lankan player’s behaviour in a statement, saying he “strongly supports the Code of Conduct Commission’s decision.”
He said the affected female player showed courage, putting the safety of those who are victims of inappropriate behaviour as a top priority while remaining committed to providing a safe environment for all players and employees.