Sri Lanka cricketer handed six year ban for corruption

Added: April 28, 2021

Former Sri Lanka cricket player and coach Nuwan Zoysa has been given a six-year ban from the sport after the International Cricket Council (ICC) found him to be guilty of breaching cricket’s Anti-Corruption Code.

The tribunal stated that the player had breached some conditions which were specified in the Code, which were all concerning the alteration of the outcome of matches. The breaches included Article 2.1.1 which concerns an individual being part of a deal to affect the result of an international match or its progress.

The player also breached Code Article 2.1.4, which concerns the encouraging, persuading, instructing or inducing of any participant to breach Article 2.1. Article 2.4.4 was also mentioned, which is when a person does not disclose all the information to the Anti-corruption Unit concerning any invitations to take part in corrupt conduct.

The ICC further charged Zoysa on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) as he breached four counts of the Anti-Corruption Code for the players in the UAE’s T10 League. Zoysa is now fully banned from all types of cricket, starting from the 31st of October 2018 which is when he was temporarily suspended.

Alex Marshall, ICC general manager, stated:

“Nuwan played 125 matches for Sri Lanka, attending a number of anti-corruption sessions during a decade-long international career. In his role as a national coach, he should have acted as a role model. Instead, he became involved with a corrupter and attempted to corrupt others. Contriving to fix a game betrays the basis of sporting principles. It will not be tolerated in our sport.”

This ruling follows soon after the ICC stated earlier in April that they would be issuing an 8-year ban to Heath Streak, the former captain of Zimbabwe, after they ruled that he had breached the regulations. Streak will now be banned from the sport for that duration.

International Cricket Council