Cricket Australia announced on Thursday that former Sri Lankan cricketer Dulip Samaraweera has been prohibited from holding any position within Cricket Australia or any State or Territory Association, including W/BBL teams, for the next 20 years. This decision came after Samaraweera was found guilty of a serious violation of the Code of Conduct.
The Conduct Commission determined that Samaraweera had engaged in inappropriate actions that breached section 2.23 of Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct. These allegations were related to his time as head coach at Cricket Victoria (CV), a role he resigned from just two weeks after his appointment in May of this year.
At the time of his resignation, Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins had explained, "Dulip had expressed his interest in making a specific coaching appointment as part of his support team during the recruitment process. However, due to internal policies, this request could not be accommodated. After further discussions, Dulip chose to step down from the role."
In Thursday's statement, Cricket Australia elaborated, "The CA Integrity Department is responsible for investigating complaints that fall under Integrity Codes and Policies, which are applicable to State and Territory Associations as well. The Conduct Commission handles cases referred by CA Integrity. Both CA and CV are fully committed to ensuring a safe environment for all players and staff, and the well-being of individuals subjected to mistreatment remains a priority."
Samaraweera's international playing career spanned from 1993 to 1995, during which he played seven Test matches and five T20Is for Sri Lanka.