On Monday, an Australian judge denied bail to Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka after he was charged with four counts of sexual assault.
Gunathilaka appeared in court via remote video link wearing handcuffs, speaking only to establish his identity and that he could hear proceedings.
The 31-year-old, who was arrested only hours after his side succumbed to England in the T20 World Cup, appeared calm as he sat in a metropolitan prison center wearing a grey T-shirt and blue pants.
After Magistrate Robert Williams granted the prosecutor’s plea to withhold information about the allegations and other aspects of the case, the batter’s bail application was heard in a closed session without journalists present.
The interim suppression order, which will be reviewed by the court on Wednesday, was appealed by Gunathilaka’s legal team and a legal representative for the media.
Sri Lanka’s cricket body said it was monitoring the situation after the International Cricket Council alerted it of the charges.
According to a statement, “SLC will closely monitor the proceedings in court and, in consultation with the ICC, will expeditiously initiate a thorough inquiry into the matter and take stern action against the player if found guilty.”
Gunathilaka has been with the team in Australia despite being sidelined with a hamstring injury during the T20 World Cup’s first round.
Since his 2015 international debut, he has participated in 46 T20 matches, 47 ODIs, and 8 Test matches.
Image Credit: ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP
