Sri Lankan Cricketer Held For Possessing Drug

COLOMBO: Srilanka police have detained international cricketer Shehan Madushanka on Monday on a charge of possessing heroin. 

The Sri Lankan pacer, Madushanka, 25, who took a hat-trick of wickets on his international debut in 2018, was remanded in custody for two weeks by a magistrate.

According to police officials, he was arrested in the town of Pannala on Sunday as he possessed only two grams of heroin. Pannala is the northeast of the city of Negombo, Srilanka.

During coronavirus lockdown across the country, he was stopped while driving with another person in a car, police said.

The right-arm pace bowler, Madushanka took a hat-trick against Bangladesh on his one-day international debut in January 2018. He also played two T20 matches against Bangladesh in 2018, but has not played an international since due to injuries. However he has been playing in domestic cricket in the country.

According to reports, the Srilankan cricket board has been informed of the arrest. The board is likely to discuss the issue and the fate of the player at their next meeting on May 27. 

Meanwhile, Srilanka has announced the curfew relaxation from Tuesday, but police have nabbed nearly 65,000 people for breaking the lockdown norms imposed on March 20.