Retired Sri Lanka cricketer arrested over match fixing allegations

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Sachithra Senanayake has been arrested due to match-fixing allegations by the Sports Corruption Investigation Unit when he surrendered on Wednesday, September 6.

The former Sri Lanka spinner was prohibited from travelling overseas by the court for three weeks. The arrest has been made over the accusation that the 38-year-old tried to fix games during the 2020 edition of the Lanka Premier League - Sri Lanka's most popular T20 tournament. He is accused of enticing players to fix matches during the tournament.

The Special Investigation Unit of the Sports Ministry instructed the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to put criminal charges against the retired player.

Senanayake played one Test match, 49 ODIs and 24 T2OIs for the country and claimed 78 wickets during his international career. He made his Test debut for the island



nation against Pakistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi in December 2014. His first ODI outing came against South Africa in Kimberley on January 20, 2012.

Regarded as a spinner who relied on variations, Senanayake was hard to get away with in the T20I format and conceded runs at just 6.77 runs per over.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan cricket team is currently playing in the Asia Cup and made it to the Super Fours after a dramatic win over Afghanistan by two runs at the Gaddafi Stadium in  Lahore on Tuesday. They will play their first Super Four game against Bangladesh at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 9.

The Dasun Shanaka-led side has played some impressive cricket in the tournament thus far. They won both their encounters during the group stage as they defeated Bangladesh by five wickets and got the better of Afghanistan by the barest of margins.