Lokuarachchi to miss England series

Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Sri Lanka's legspinning allrounder, will miss the forthcoming tour by England after being banned from all cricket for four months by the Sri Lankan board (BCCSL).

Lokuarachchi was arrested last month following a fatal late-night car accident that killed a woman and injured her son. Lokuarachchi, who is alleged to have been driving home late without a valid driving licence, crashed a friend's car through a bus stand and into a roadside house.

"The BCCSL has warned Lokuarachchi for misconduct and imposed a four-month-long ban from all cricket from the date of the incident," said Mohan de Silva, BCCSL secretary. "We have also decided to impose upon him a two-year suspended match ban."

Lokuarachchi had broken into the national squad after the World Cup. With three Tests and five ODIs already under his belt, he had been one of the leading candidates to partner Muttiah Muralitharan during the forthcoming series against England.

Although he will continue to train with the national squad, he will not even be allowed to play club cricket and will not be available for selection until the end of December. England are due to arrive in November.