COLOMBO, Oct 03 (Agencies): Sri Lankan spin bowler Praveen Jayawickrama has been banned from cricket for a year by the sport's world governing body after he pleaded guilty to a corruption charge.
The International Cricket Council said the 26-year-old spinner, who has not been included in a national squad since June 2022, admitted breaching the body's anti-corruption code.
"As a result of the admission, Jayawickrama has accepted a sanction of a one-year period of ineligibility, of which the last six months are suspended," the ICC said in a statement on Wednesday night.
He was accused of failing to report an approach to fix a match during the Sri Lanka Premier League tournament in 2021, as well as future international matches.
He was also accused of deleting messages on his phone relating to the approach.
Jayawickrama has played five international matches in each of the sport's three formats since his international debut in April 2021 in a Test against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka introduced tough laws in 2019 to fight corruption in sport, including match fixing in cricket, the country's most popular sport. Jaywawickrama was handed his international debut in April 2021 when he took 11 wickets in his maiden Test against Bangladesh.
He has played five Test matches, five one-day internationals and five T20 internationals, and last featured for Sri Lanka in June 2022.
He has taken 25 wickets in five Test matches, five wickets in as many ODIs, and two wickets in five T20Is. A slow left-arm spinner, Praveen last played in the Major Clubs Limited Over Tournament, a domestic 50-over competition in Sri Lanka. He has not participated in international cricket for Sri Lanka since a T20I series against Australia in Pallekele in June 2022.
Sri Lanka's Jayawickrama handed one-yr ban
FE Team | Published: October 03, 2024 23:53:00
Sri Lanka's Jayawickrama handed one-yr ban
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