Ex-Sri Lanka spinner Senanayake indicted for match-fixing attempt

THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK

Colombo, June 5: Under Sri Lanka’s newly enacted anti-corruption legislation, former national cricketer Sachithra Senanayake has been formally indicted by the Hambantota High Court for attempting to fix matches during the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL).

This is the first time a Sri Lankan international player has been charged for match-fixing under the new law, according to the Attorney General’s Department.

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Senanayake, who was part of the 2014 T20 World Cup-winning squad, is accused of making corrupt approaches to fellow players, including national cricketer Tharindu Ratnayake, who was representing Colombo Kings at the time.

Reports in the Sri Lankan Daily Mirror claim he also contacted two other players involved in the inaugural edition of the LPL from Dubai, allegedly urging them to participate in fixing matches.

The 40-year-old former off-spinner, who represented Sri Lanka in 1 Test, 49 ODIs, and 24 T20Is between 2012 and 2016, was arrested in 2023 and later granted bail. He took a total of 78 international wickets across formats during his career.