COLOMBO: Niroshan Dickwella, the Sri Lankan cricketer, has been cleared to resume playing in all formats of the game after the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) reduced his 3-year ban to 3 months. This decision permits him to rejoin competitions immediately, according to a statement from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

According to Sri Lanka Cricket, the original 3-year ban was implemented on August 13, 2024, after a prohibited substance was found in Dickwella’s test report following a random anti-doping test. However, the reduction in his sanction follows an appeal made by Dickwella, where he provided evidence confirming that he had not consumed any banned substances during the competition period. Moreover, the identified substance was determined to be unrelated to enhancing sports performance.

With this reduction in the ban, Dickwella is now eligible to participate in all competitions organized by the SLC, marking a significant return to professional cricket after being sidelined. This development underscores
the importance of the appeals process in anti-doping regulations and the role of evidence in reassessing sanctions.