Board launches investigation into players' conduct

The Sri Lankan board has launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct by two players during the Champions Trophy newspaper last month.

The Island newspaper said that Sri Lanka Cricket had been prompted to take action after being "tipped off by well-informed sources" that the two players - allegedly Avishka Gunawardene and Kaushal Lokuarachchi - were involved in a late-night drinking binge midway through their rain-interrupted match against England.

Mohan de Silva, the cricket board president, confirmed to Wisden Cricinfo that a disciplinary probe was already under way: "Investigations have been started. We have instructed the disciplinary committee to look into these allegations and they are making preliminary enquiries now before the players return from Pakistan."

The allegations surfaced soon after Sri Lanka's early exit from the Champions Trophy, but were not taken seriously at the outset after being flatly denied by Ajit Jayasekera, the team manager at the time, and the coach John Dyson.

de Silva refused to confirm the identity of the two players, and insisted that the decision to drop both Gunawardene and Lokuarachchi for Sri Lanka's second match in the Paktel Cup had not been triggered by the inquiry.

Lokuarachchi was banned for four months from all forms of cricket last year after his involvement in a tragic late-night driving accident. Legal proceedings are still continuing in that case.