Former Lanka cricketer Senanayake indicted for match-fixing

Colombo: Former Sri Lanka off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake has been indicted by the Hambantota High Court for attempting to lure a fellow player for match-fixing during the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL) .

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.

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.

According to local media reports, he made the corrupt approach to another national player Tharindu Ratnayake, who was playing for 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.