ICC bans Sri-Lankan cricketer for gambling and corruption breach

Sri Lankan cricketer Praveen Jayawickrama has been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for one year after admitting to breaking the sport’s Anti-Corruption Code. His ban came after he violated the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code, a set of regulations aimed at maintaining the integrity of the sport.

Events leading to ban

In August, Jayawickrama was approached by an old school friend, referred to as [MR X], who asked him to help fix matches in the upcoming Lanka Premier League. [MR X] offered significant financial incentives to both Jayawickrama and another player, referred to as [PLAYER A], if they agreed to participate in the fixing. Jayawickrama refused to approach [PLAYER A] directly but shared [PLAYER A]’s phone number with [MR X]. Despite his refusal, Jayawickrama failed to report this approach to the ACU, a key aspect of his charges. When it became clear that [MR X] was being investigated by the police, Jayawickrama deleted all his messages related to the corrupt approaches, including those that detailed payment amounts. This act of obstruction was one of the primary reasons for his eventual ban.

Overview of charges

In August 2024, Jayawickrama was accused of violating three key provisions of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code. These charges revolved around his failure to report corrupt approaches and obstructing the subsequent investigation. One of the most serious charges against Jayawickrama was his obstruction of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) investigation. He deleted key messages that could have provided evidence of corrupt approaches. This violated Article 2.4.7 of the Anti-Corruption Code, which prohibits any action that obstructs or delays an investigation. Jayawickrama was also found guilty of not reporting two separate corrupt approaches to the ACU. Despite receiving anti-corruption training, he failed to inform the designated officials about these incidents. This negligence is a direct violation of Article 2.4.4 of the Code. By failing to report the approaches, Jayawickrama not only breached the trust of the ICC but also put himself at risk of severe penalties. Jayawickrama was handed a one-year ban, six months of this term were suspended due to his admission of guilt and cooperation with the investigation.

Similar cases in other sports

Corruption is not limited to cricket. Football, too, has been rocked by corruption scandals, with Brazilian international Lucas Paquetá recently being charged with betting-related offences. This is just one example of how corruption can infiltrate different sports. Betting-related corruption is on the rise in various sports, from football to tennis. Governing bodies must remain vigilant to prevent the spread of such corrupt practices.

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