ICC clarifies Kusal's dope-test date

The ICC has clarified that Kusal Perera's positive sample had been taken on October 12, and not during the Pakistan series, as a Sri Lanka Cricket statement had earlier said. Perera was withdrawn from Sri Lanka's ongoing tour of New Zealand after being provisionally suspended on Monday, and is currently in Sri Lanka mulling his response to the ICC's Notice of Charge.

"The sample Perera provided in an out-of-competition test, which was conducted on 12 October 2015, was found to contain the presence of a Prohibited Substance (in the category of non-Specified Substances)," a statement on the ICC's website said.

SLC's original release had specified the "recent Pakistani Tour" as the series in which Perera had provided the sample. Pakistan toured Sri Lanka in June and July. According to the ICC, Perera had actually provided the sample two days before Sri Lanka's Test against West Indies in Galle, where the wicketkeeper-batsman struck 23 runs, took three catches and effected two stumpings.

Sri Lanka's interim coach Jerome Jayaratne had also said the medication Perera took for a leech bite on his foot had at one stage been suspected to contain the offending substance. Sri Lanka's management, however, have since confirmed that medication did not contain any banned substances.