Photo Credit: LinkedIn Profile Photo of Dulip Samaraweera
Former Sri Lanka cricketer Dulip Samaraweera has been handed a 20-year ban by Cricket Australia (CA) for inappropriate behavior during his time at Cricket Victoria. The ban prohibits him from holding any position within CA, its state boards, or with Big Bash League (BBL) and Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) clubs.
According to reports, Samaraweera was found to have committed a serious breach of CA’s Code of Conduct, leading to the ban after an investigation by CA’s Integrity Department following complaints.
Samaraweera, who played seven Tests and five ODIs for Sri Lanka between 1993 and 1995, had a long stint as an assistant coach for Victoria’s women’s team and the Melbourne Stars WBBL side.
Earlier this year, Samaraweera was promoted to head coach of the Victoria women’s team but resigned two weeks later due to a conflict over staffing decisions. Separate from this issue, a serious code of conduct violation was reported. CA’s Commission determined Samaraweera violated section 2.23 of the Code of Conduct, allegedly involving a player.
Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins condemned Samaraweera’s actions, stating, “We strongly support the decision taken by the Code of Conduct Commission today, banning Dulip Samaraweera for 20 years.” He praised the victim’s courage and reaffirmed Cricket Victoria’s commitment to safety and a supportive culture.
“It is our view that the conduct was utterly reprehensible and a betrayal of everything we stand for at Cricket Victoria. The victim in this case has demonstrated incredible strength of character and courage in speaking up. She will continue to receive our ongoing support to allow her to achieve her goals on and off the field,” he noted.
“From an organisation perspective, the safety and wellbeing of everyone at Cricket Victoria is paramount. We will not tolerate any behaviour which compromises that position, or our people, and will always support our culture of speaking up,” Cummins said.
CA stated that they are “committed to providing a safe environment for all players and employees and the welfare of those subjected to mistreatment is paramount.”
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