Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is likely to suspend Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, and Danushka Gunathilaka for a year after the trio was found guilty of breaching the biosecure bubble in England. The Sri Lanka cricket team is currently in England for a limited-overs series and has been staying in a bio-bubble at their team hotel.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still not over, teams have been staying in bio-secure bubbles to safeguard themselves from the virus. However, a video of Menis and Dickwella had recently gone viral on social media where the duo was spotted roaming on the streets of Durham ahead of the start of the ODI series between Sri Lanka and England.

The video soon became the talk of the town with SLC confirming that the players have been suspended and asked to return back home. Mendis and Dickwella were joined by Gunathilaka, who was also found guilty of a bio-bubble breach during the England tour. The trio is now likely to face a lengthier suspension from the SLC.

“They are likely to get a minimum one-year suspension if found guilty of several breaches of their contract,” one SLC official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official also informed that the Sri Lankan board will launch an inquiry into the matter once the trio has served their two-week mandatory quarantine back home to find out how they were able to leave the bio-bubble at the team hotel and venture out.  Mendis, Dickwella, and Gunathilaka are all set to miss Sri Lanka’s upcoming limited-overs series against India.

Sri Lanka are scheduled to play three T20Is and three ODIs against India at home in July this year. However, the trio will not be part of the hosts’ squad for the twin series. While Virat Kohli-led India are in England ahead of their five-match Test series against the hosts, Shikhar Dhawan will lead the second-string Indian side which has already reached Sri Lanka ahead of the series.