Sri Lanka Cricket suspends batsman Gunathilaka over sexual assault charges

Sri Lanka Cricket said Monday it has suspended batsman Danushka Gunathilaka after he was charged with four counts of sexual assault in Australia.

The local governing body of the sport said the 31-year-old, who was in Australia for the T20 World Cup, was suspended "from all forms of the game with immediate effect".

"Furthermore, Sri Lanka Cricket will take the necessary steps to promptly carry out an inquiry into the alleged offence, and, upon conclusion of the aforementioned court case in Australia, steps will be taken to penalise the said player if found guilty," it said.

It added that the board "adopts a 'zero tolerance' policy for any such conduct by a player and will provide all the required support to the Australian law enforcement authorities to carry out an impartial inquiry into the incident."

On Monday, a Sydney court rejected the player's application for bail.