Sri Lanka cricketer arrested for assault over parking-related issue - Reports

Sri Lanka batter Ashen Bandara allegedly assaulted his neighbor regarding a parking issue, ESPNcricinfo has reported. The 26-year-old was taken into custody regarding the matter on Saturday, March 8. He, however, has been granted bail and ordered to appear in court on March 12.

As per Sri Lanka police, the incident took place on Saturday evening in Kolamunna, Piliyandala near Bandara's residence. The cricketer allegedly entered the neighbor's house and assaulted the individual following the aforementioned parking issue.

In a statement, Sri Lanka police said:

"On Saturday evening one of the neighbors had complained of Bandara causing trouble, and that he had trespassed into someone's house."

"The verbal confrontation had then escalated into a physical one. He was arrested on suspicion of assault on Saturday night and bailed out on the same day," they added.

"We first need look at the incident" - Sri Lanka Cricket CEO reacts to Ashen Bandara's case

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) CEO Ashley de Silva said that they will enquire about the details of the case before making a decision regarding the matter. He said (via ESPNcricinfo):

"We first need to look at the contract and also look at the incident. If he is thought to have brought SLC into disrepute, then there is further action that we can take."

"So we will discuss the matter internally and if it warrants an inquiry we will conduct one," he added.

It's worth mentioning that Ashen Bandara doesn't have a central contract with SLC. The middle-order batter has represented the national team in six ODIs and as many T20Is. Known for his extraordinary fielding skills, he played for Sri Lanka during the 2023 Asian Games. He last played for the Islanders against Afghanistan in October 2023 during the above tournament.

Bandara currently has a contract with Police SC in Sri Lanka's National Super League. He last played for them in a first-class match in February this year. In such a scenario, he may be liable for tarnishing the reputation of SLC.