Former Sri Lankan off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake has attempted to lure fellow cricketers for match-fixing in the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL). The 40-year-old has been indicted by the Hambantota High Court for his attempts. According to some of the news outlets in Senanayake made the approach to Tharindu Ratnayake, who was playing for the Colombo Kings at that time.
“Senanayake is also alleged to have contacted two other cricketers participating in the inaugural LPL in 2020 via telephone from Dubai, attempting to persuade them to engage in match-fixing,” a report in the Sri Lankan ‘Daily Mirror’ stated.
The Attorney General’s Department said this becomes the first such indictment of a national level cricketer for match-fixing under the country’s recently-introduced anti-corruption law. He was arrested and released on bail in 2023. At the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court had ordered the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to impose a travel ban which will be effective for a three-month period.
The 40-year-old played one Test, 49 ODIs and 24 T20 Internationals for Sri Lanka between 2012 and 2016 for a combined haul of 78 wickets. He was a member of Sri Lanka’s 2014 T20 World Cup-winning squad.
Off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake has been banned by the ICC for illegal bowling action during Sri Lanka’s tour of England in May in 2014.
Senanayake’s ban has come with immediate effect, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said.
SLC said it had received the ICC Bowling Action Legality Assessment Report pertaining to Senanayake. It was conducted by the Cardiff Metropolitan University – Cardiff School of Sport in England.
“The Standard ICC Illegal Action Testing Protocol was used to assess the degree of elbow extension from the point of upper arm horizontal to ball release within the bowling action,” the report said.
“15-degree elbow extension threshold was exceeded in the four deliveries considered to be suspect in the 4th ODI played at Lords.”
(From Agency inputs)
