Tharanga suspended for violating ICC's Anti-Doping Code

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Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga was on Friday suspended from all cricket-related activities for three months after being found guilty of violating the ICC's code on anti-doping.

Tharanga had provided a urine sample as part of ICC's random in-competition testing programme after the conclusion of the Cricket World Cup semi-final between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo on 29 March.

The 26-year-old's sample was subsequently tested by a World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory and was found to contain metabolites of two glucocorticosteroids - Prednisone and Prednisolone.

"I apologise to the fans and followers of Sri Lanka cricket for inadvertently committing an offence. I hope my fellow sportsmen will learn from my experience and be more vigilant when taking medical treatment, so that their careers do not suffer in the way that mine has," Tharanga said in an ICC release.

Prednisone and Prednisolone are classified as 'Specified Substances' under WADA's Prohibited List and are prohibited in-competition 'when administered by oral, intravenous intramuscular or rectal routes'.

An independent anti-doping tribunal, comprising Tim Kerr as chairman, Dr Anik Sax and Prof Peter Sever, heard the case via videoconference today and made its determination after considering detailed written and oral legal submissions and live witness evidence, including from Tharanga himself.