PINT cricketer Sanka Wijegunarathna banned for abusive language towards a Waratah opponent

A cricketer’s charge of threatening to assault an opponent has been dismissed for the second time in three years following a tribunal hearing.

A Darwin Premier Grade cricketer’s charge of threatening to assault an opponent has been thrown out for the second time in three years.

PINT cricketer Sanka Wijegunarathna appeared before the Darwin & Districts Cricket Competition tribunal in late May charged with using language or a gesture to, and threatening to assault, another player or team official.

He was also charged with bringing the game of cricket into disrepute or be harmful to the interests of cricket.

According to a tribunal report, on May 20 in a match between Waratah and PINT at DXC Arena, Tahs all-rounder Param Uppal said to dismissed batter Wijegunarathna words to the effect of: “You are so selfish.”

Wijegunarathna then reportedly turned around and said to Uppal, “f**k you” and then it was alleged he added words to the effect of “I am gonna kill you”.

It led to a heated exchange between Wijegunarathna and Waratah players before umpires intervened.

PINT’s Sanka Wijegunarathna banned for abuse. Picture: Glenn Campbell

However, upon reaching the boundary rope the batter raised his hands towards the Waratah Cricket Club and said words to the effect of: “Guys I am sorry”.

The tribunal was informed that English was the player’s second language.

Wijegunarathna received a two-match ban for using language or a gesture to another player, umpire or team official, and a four-match ban, suspended for 12 months.

However, a charge of threatening to assault another player, team official or spectator was dismissed.

“When seeking clarification from the umpire, there was some doubt as to whether the words were in fact said by Mr Wijegunarathna,” the report revealed.

“The only evidence for this charge was by the umpire, who advised the commission that he did not see Mr Wijegunarathna say the words, but he heard the words.

“However, he was unable to confirm the conversation that occurred between Mr Wijegunarathna and players from the Waratah Cricket Club at the same time.

“Saying the words: ‘I am going to kill you’ is a threat to kill and is regarded as a form of violence.”

Sanka Wijegunarathna plays for the PINT cricket club. Pic: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

It comes three years after Wijegunarathna was charged with the same offence following a Top End T20 grand final at Marrara, but it was ultimately dismissed over a perceived miscommunication between himself and Southern Districts player Corey Kelly.

Wijegunarathna, then playing for Waratah, pleaded not guilty with threatening to physically assault Kelly during the third over of the innings.

Neither umpire said they heard the alleged threat, a tribunal report revealed.

However, audio from a video microphone captured Kelly saying to a spectator “He threatened to f**king kill me”.

Wijegunarathna revealed to the tribunal he told Kelly at the non-striker’s end “You f**cking kid, don’t shit on the gentleman’s game”.

He “vehemently” denied the accusation of threatening to assault Kelly and said it was a reference to the Crocs player being around half of his age, then 37 at the time.

Kelly said he was “angry” about the situation when asked by a Waratah advocate.

However, while the tribunal found Kelly genuinely believed Wijegunarathna made a “kill threat”, there was doubt that was the word used and there could have been a possible miscommunication or language barrier.