Sri Lanka Cricket initiates disciplinary action as three players breach Covid-19 bubble in Durham

Sri Lanka’s cricket board on Monday initiated disciplinary action against three players, including vice-captain Kusal Mendis, after videos emerged appearing to show them breaching their bio-secure Covid bubble in England.

Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella were seen smoking in the streets of Durham, where they are based ahead of this week’s first one-day international at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.

In a second video on social media, opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka is seen joining the pair, violating the coronavirus rules of their stay in England, where they are not allowed to roam freely.

Part 2 ❤
Lord Danny, King Mendis and Sir Dikwella pic.twitter.com/X998fod8YU

— Asif Ali 🇱🇰🇮🇳 (@Asif_Ali96) June 28, 2021

“We have seen the videos and have started an inquiry,” a cricket board official in Colombo told AFP. “No team member was supposed to go out of their hotel unescorted.”

Sri Lanka were swept 3-0 by England in the Twenty20 series that concluded on Saturday with the hosts cruising to a thumping 89-run victory in Southampton.

Disgruntled fans launched a campaign to shun the team on social media after they slumped to a dismal fifth consecutive Twenty20 series defeat.

The hashtag #unfollowcricketers began to trend on Facebook on Sunday as thousands of fans boycotted the social media pages of Mendis and Gunathilaka, reports said.

I Watched last nights match,I’m disappointed to see…

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