Danushka Gunathilaka's ban is revoked by Sri Lanka Cricket, allowing him to rejoin the national team

Danushka Gunathilaka's ban was revoked by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on Tuesday based on the advice of an independent inquiry committee that the board had appointed in the wake of his arrest and accusations of sexual assault in Australia during the T20 World Cup last year.

The batter's ban, which kept him out of action for nearly a year, has been lifted, allowing him to rejoin the national team.

The suggestion was approved by the SLC executive committee after a meeting on October 13, according to Cricbuzz's report. Gunathilaka was advised "to always uphold his status as a representative of the nation in all his future actions".

According to a woman's allegations, Gunathilaka, 32, was detained in Australia for engaging in sexual activity without permission. He was placed under travel restrictions for 11 months in Australia and charged with four counts of rape, which were later dropped by the prosecution before the case went to trial.

After entering a not guilty plea and going through a four-day trial, Gunathilaka was ultimately found not guilty of all charges brought against him in the District Court of New South Wales. On October 3 of this year, he went back to Sri Lanka.

"This suspension was pending the outcome of legal proceedings and was imposed considering the impact of his actions on the reputation of cricket and the country," the statement said.

"After careful evaluation of Gunathilaka's exoneration and with due consideration to his cricketing career and its impact on the cricketing ambitions of the nation, the Inquiry Panel, headed by Retired High Court Judge, Sisira Ratnayake, Niroshana Perera, Attorney at Law and Asela Rekawa Attorney at Law, unanimously recommended an immediate lifting of his cricketing ban, allowing him to resume regular cricket activities and return to national duty," it stated.