Former Sri Lanka cricketer Dilhara Lokuhettige charged under Emirates Cricket Board anti-corruption code

Former Sri Lanka international Dilhara Lokuhettige has been charged under an anti-corruption code relating to a 10-over league in the United Arab Emirates last year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old, who played nine one-dayers and two Twenty20 internationals for Sri Lanka, has been charged with three counts of breaching the anti-corruption code of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), the global governing body said.

“Mr Lokuhettige has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect,” the ICC said in a statement.

Lokuhettige had 14 days to respond to the charges, it added.

The charges against the bowling all-rounder include being party to an effort to fix the result or progress of a match, and directly soliciting, inducing, enticing or encouraging a player to do the same.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has been grappling with a series of corruption cases and Lokuhettige is the latest name to be added to the list of those involved.

Former paceman and bowling coach Nuwan Zoysa was provisionally suspended on 31 October after being charged by the ICC with match-fixing.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) promptly sent Zoysa on “compulsory leave”.

Former captain Sanath Jayasuriya was last month charged with two counts of breaching the ICC’s anti-corruption code. He denied any wrongdoing.

Also in October, SLC’s chief financial officer Wimal Nandika Dissanayake was remanded in custody for suspected financial misappropriation linked with awarding telecast rights to Sony TV.

The T10 league was launched last year and the 2018 edition will be contested by eight teams from 21 November - 2 December.