Sri Lanka's Dickwella cleared to return after successful appeal against doping ban

Dubai, Dec 12 (IANS) Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella has been cleared to return to cricket across all formats after a successful appeal against a three-year doping ban imposed in August 2024.

The 31-year-old cricketer, who had been sidelined since testing positive for a prohibited substance during a random anti-doping test, is now free to resume his cricketing career.

"Sri Lanka keeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella who was banned for three years following alleged anti-doping allegations, has been cleared to play cricket across all formats," the ICC said in a statement.

The Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) had initially suspended Dickwella for three years, citing the presence of a banned substance in his sample. However, Dickwella appealed the decision, presenting evidence to demonstrate that the substance detected was unrelated to performance enhancement and was not consumed during the "competition period."

SLADA reviewed the appeal and accepted Dickwella's explanation, lifting the ban with immediate effect. The decision paves the way for his return to the national side, though the wicketkeeper-batter will need to prove his form and fitness to regain his spot.

Dickwella last appeared in international cricket in March 2023 during Sri Lanka's Test series against New Zealand in Christchurch. His performance in the first Test, where he scored just 7 runs, led to his exclusion for the remainder of the series. In March 2024, he was recalled to the T20I squad for the Bangladesh series but did not feature in any games.

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