<p>The International Cricket Council is investigating an alleged attempt to fix Sri Lankan Premier League matches due to start Thursday, a media report said.</p>.<p>The complaint alleges a former national cricketer approached a Lanka Premier League player, and is being looked at by the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), the mass-circulating Lankadeepa said.</p>.<p>"The former national player who allegedly made the approach is currently overseas," the newspaper said, adding that he had once been accused, but later cleared, of match-fixing charges by the ICC.</p>.<p>The ICC said it would not discuss any ongoing investigation. The Sri Lanka board's anti-corruption unit too declined comment.</p>.<p>The Twenty20 tournament opens Thursday without spectators, but under the close scrutiny of the ICC anti-corruption officials, the national board and the sports ministry.</p>.<p>Last week, Sri Lanka's former fast bowling coach Nuwan Zoysa said he would appeal a decision of an ICC-appointed tribunal which found him guilty of three offences relating to match-fixing after a two-year investigation.</p>.<p>Cricket-crazy Sri Lanka introduced a law against corruption in sport last year after then-sports minister Harin Fernando declared that the ICC considered the Indian Ocean island the world's most corrupt cricket nation.</p>.<p>The Sri Lankan board and the ICC has conducted anti-corruption programmes for players and officials and set up a 24-hour hotline to report any "suspicious or corrupt activity."</p>.<p>The tournament will be Sri Lanka's first top cricket since England abruptly pulled out of a two-match Test series in March as the coronavirus pandemic spread.</p>.<p>The start was delayed three times because of coronavirus restrictions imposed by authorities to contain the virus which has claimed 94 lives and infected nearly 21,000 people.</p>
<p>The International Cricket Council is investigating an alleged attempt to fix Sri Lankan Premier League matches due to start Thursday, a media report said.</p>.<p>The complaint alleges a former national cricketer approached a Lanka Premier League player, and is being looked at by the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), the mass-circulating Lankadeepa said.</p>.<p>"The former national player who allegedly made the approach is currently overseas," the newspaper said, adding that he had once been accused, but later cleared, of match-fixing charges by the ICC.</p>.<p>The ICC said it would not discuss any ongoing investigation. The Sri Lanka board's anti-corruption unit too declined comment.</p>.<p>The Twenty20 tournament opens Thursday without spectators, but under the close scrutiny of the ICC anti-corruption officials, the national board and the sports ministry.</p>.<p>Last week, Sri Lanka's former fast bowling coach Nuwan Zoysa said he would appeal a decision of an ICC-appointed tribunal which found him guilty of three offences relating to match-fixing after a two-year investigation.</p>.<p>Cricket-crazy Sri Lanka introduced a law against corruption in sport last year after then-sports minister Harin Fernando declared that the ICC considered the Indian Ocean island the world's most corrupt cricket nation.</p>.<p>The Sri Lankan board and the ICC has conducted anti-corruption programmes for players and officials and set up a 24-hour hotline to report any "suspicious or corrupt activity."</p>.<p>The tournament will be Sri Lanka's first top cricket since England abruptly pulled out of a two-match Test series in March as the coronavirus pandemic spread.</p>.<p>The start was delayed three times because of coronavirus restrictions imposed by authorities to contain the virus which has claimed 94 lives and infected nearly 21,000 people.</p>