(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has imposed a fine of one Test match fee of USD 7500 on Dimuth Karunaratne for violating the player contract by drunk driving that led to an accident.
The Sri Lanka Test Captain was found to be drunk when the vehicle driven by him collided with a three wheeler injuring the trishaw driver on 31 March.
Karunaratne was released on bail following his arrest and his driving license was temporarily suspended by the Colombo Magistrate Court.
SLC said it will follow the legal recourse regarding the accident and will investigate whether the incident has any impact on the contract between Sri Lanka Cricket and Karunaratne.
The national cricketer apologizing to his fans world over, team members, cricket officials and “each and every Sri Lankan” for his actions said his actions were “utterly unbecoming of a Sri Lankan national cricketer”.
Apologizing to the trishaw driver, Karunaratne said his “moral obligation towards his betterment and well been will be well looked after and that’s guaranteed.”
“I firstly need to apologize to the owner of the other vehicle who had a few very minor injuries and was absolutely decent in his manner to very amicably sort out the matter directly with me. I… would like to inform all of you that he has been discharged from hospital where he was under precautionary observation and is now resting at home. Rest assured that my moral obligation towards his betterment and well been will be well looked after and that’s guaranteed,” Karunaratne said.
The player said he followed the due legal process abiding by all formalities therein required and will continue to assist, follow with whatever Legal obligations necessary from his end.
“I am very much aware that perhaps my actions were utterly unbecoming of a Sri Lankan National Cricketer and I do apologize to all of you for this incident,” Dimuth Karunaratne said.
