Sri Lanka spinner faces ICC anti-corruption charges

Sri Lankan cricketer Praveen Jayawickrama has been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) with three violations of its Anti-Corruption Code. The charges include failing to report attempts to involve him in match-fixing and deleting related messages.

According to the ICC, Jayawickrama, a 25-year-old spinner with 15 international matches under his belt, did not report two separate incidents. One involved an approach for fixing international matches, while the other was related to the 2021 Lanka Premier League. Jayawickrama is also accused of obstructing the investigation by deleting messages about these corrupt approaches.

The charges are as follows:

Article 2.4.4 – Failing to report to the Anti-Corruption Unit, without unnecessary delay, details of an approach he received to carry out fixing in future International Matches.

Article 2.4.4 – Failing to report to the Anti-Corruption Unit, without unnecessary delay, details of an approach he received in which he was asked to approach another player, on a corrupter’s behalf, to carry out fixing in the 2021 Lanka Premier League.

Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing the investigation by deleting messages in which the approaches and offers to engage in corrupt conduct were made.

Jayawickrama has 14 days, starting from August 6, 2024, to respond to these charges. The ICC and Sri Lanka Cricket have agreed that the charges related to the Lanka Premier League will be handled alongside those concerning international matches.

Jayawickrama last played for Sri Lanka in a T20I series against Australia in 2022.