3 times a Sri Lankan player was involved in a match-fixing controversy ft. Sachithra Senanayake
Sri Lanka has a rich and proud history in the game of cricket. They have won the Cricket World Cup once, in 1996, and have been runners-up twice, in 2007 and 2011. They have also won the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC T20 World Cup in 2002 and 2014 respectively.
Over the years, Sri Lanka has produced some sensational cricketers like Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Lasith Malinga.
While the aforementioned players have brought great pride to Sri Lanka, there are others who have let the nation down by participating in match-fixing. Match-fixing is a serious offense that undermines the integrity of the game and can have a devastating impact on the sport. Here, we take a look at three Sri Lankan cricketers who have been involved in match-fixing:
#1 Sachithra Senanayake
Former Sri Lankan spinner Sachithra Senanayake, who has also played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the cash-rich Indian Premier League, is the latest cricketer from the country to be involved in match-fixing. He was recently arrested by Sri Lanka Police and prior to that, a travel ban was imposed on the 38-year old.
Senanayake was accused of persuading two players to fix games in the 2020 edition of the Lanka Premier League. He is set to appear in court soon in relation to the same.
He represented his country in 74 games since making his debut in 2012, picking up 78 wickets across ODIs and T20Is.
#2 Nuwan Zoysa
Nuwan Zoysa is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played 30 Tests and 95 ODIs for his country. He was a left-arm fast bowler who was known for his aggressive bowling and his useful batting skills lower down the order. However, Zoysa's career was hampered by injuries and he retired from international cricket in 2007.
In October 2018, he was provisionally suspended after being charged with three counts of breaching the ICC Anti Corruption Code. Then in May 2019, he was charged for breaching the Emirates Cricket Board's Anti Corruption Code.
Finally in November 2020, he was found guilty by an ICC tribunal and was subsequently banned from all cricket for a period of 6 years for trying to fix matches and failing to disclose corrupt approaches from a suspected Indian bookie. He committed the crimes in a T10 League in 2017.
#3 Dilhara Lokuhettige
Dilhara Lokuhettige is an all-rounder who represented Sri Lanka in 9 ODIs and 2 T20s.
In April 2021, he was banned from the game for a duration of eight years by the ICC Anti Corruption Unit after being found guilty of breaching the ICC's Anti Corruption code on three counts. The ban was in relation to his actions in a T10 tournament played in the UAE back in 2017.
Alex Marshall, the general manager of ICC's Anti Corruption Unit at the time, said:
The severity of the sanction reflects the seriousness of his offences and his continued refusal to cooperate and should serve as a deterrent for anyone considering getting involved in corruption of any kind