Sanath under corruption cloud

Dubai, October 15

Sri Lankan batting legend Sanath Jayasuriya has been charged with two counts of breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code, the sport’s world governing body said today. The former opener has been given two weeks to respond to the charges. ICC, though, did not specify what exactly prompted the action against the celebrated cricketer, who is a World Cup winner and played 110 Tests and 445 ODIs. 

The former captain and explosive opening batsman has refused to cooperate with any investigation conducted by ICC’s anti-corruption unit (ACU), ICC said in a press statement. The 49-year-old has also been charged with trying to conceal, destroy or tamper with evidence that could be crucial to anti-corruption investigation. “Jayasuriya has 14 days from October 15 to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage,” ICC said.

Earlier this month, ICC said ACU was investigating serious allegations of corruption in Sri Lankan cricket and had provided a detailed briefing to the country’s President, Prime Minister and Sports Minister. Last year, Sri Lanka lost a home ODI series to Zimbabwe 2-3. The series defeat, particularly the loss in the fourth match in Hambantota, came under a cloud. At that time, Jayasuriya was the selection committee chairman, and the entire panel resigned a month later following protests over Sri Lanka’s slump in form.  

A source in Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the former player was in the line of fire for “trying to block” an ICC probe. “At first, he refused to join the probe when ACU approached him last year. He also declined the request to part with the information on his phone, which was relevant to the investigators,” the SLC source said.  “But the ICC has not charged him with match-fixing or any corrupt activities. The charge is of non-cooperation in the probe,” he added. 

Lankan great 

Jayasuriya played 110 Tests, scoring 6,973 runs with 14 hundreds before his retirement in 2007 but it was in the shorter form of cricket that he really stamped his authority. Forming a formidable opening partnership with wicketkeeper-batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana, Jayasuriya played a key role in Sri Lanka’s breakthrough 50-over World Cup triumph in 1996. After hanging up his boots, Jayasuriya tried his hands at politics and got elected to the Sri Lankan Parliament in 2010.  In 2013, he became the island nation’s selection committee’s chairman. — Agencies 

Charges against Jayasuriya

• Failure or refusal, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the ACU, including failure to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the ACU as part of such investigation
• Obstructing or delaying any investigation that may be carried out by the ACU, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code