Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella cleared to play all forms of cricket

Colombo: Sri Lanka keeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella who was banned for three years following doping allegations, has been cleared to playing cricket across all formats.

The 31-year-old was handed a three -year suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance, following a random anti-doping test conducted on the player.

The ban was imposed in August 2024 by the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA).

However, Dickwella appealed the ban and submitted relevant evidence to show that no banned substances were consumed during the "competition period" and that the identified substance was unrelated to "enhancing sports performance."

Following a successful appeal, Dickwella's ban was lifted with immediate effect and he has been granted permission to play cricket across all formats, an ICC report said.

The keeper last played international cricket in March 2023; he was part of the Sri Lanka XI in the first Test against New Zealand in Christchurch. He was dropped after the opening Test, having scored just 7 runs in the match.

Dickwella was called up to T20I squad in March 2024 for Bangladesh T20Is but did not get to play a game.