Upul Tharanga’s arrest blocked by Court of Appeal on return to Sri Lanka

The Court of Appeal issued an order on October 16 that prevented former Sri Lanka cricketer Upul Tharanga, who is also the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket’s Selection Committee, from being arrested upon his return to the country. The appeal was in response to an order issued by the Matale High Court.

It is worth noting that on October 8, the Matale High Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Upul Tharanga after he had failed to appear in court as a witness in a match-fixing case. The court was informed that the arrest warrant against Tharanga had been issued while he was in the USA, participating in a franchise league tournament. 

The Court of Appeal had a two-judge bench composed of Justices M.T.M. Lafar and P. Kumararatnam, and they made the order according to a writ petition that was filed by Tharanga himself. 

Sri Lanka set to take on West Indies in third T20I

As for Sri Lanka, the side is currently occupied with a three-game T20I series against the West Indies. Both sides have put in good showings in the first two matches. The West Indies managed to win the first game, whereas Sri Lanka bounced back in the second T20I to level the score.

Also Read: 'It was not a T20 wicket' - Rovman Powell analyses West Indies' defeat to Sri Lanka in second T20I 

For the third and final T20I, both sides will lock horns at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium itself on Thursday, October 17, and with the series on the line, both sides will aim to put in their best performances in order to clinch it.

It is worth noting that after the T20I series, both Sri Lanka and the West Indies will lock horns in a three-game ODI series. The games will be played in Pallekele, and the matches will be played on October 20, 23, and 26. The hosts will hope to get a result out of the T20I series and follow it up with good performances in the ODI matches as well.