COLOMBO: Former spin bowler Sachithra Senanayake was on Wednesday arrested on allegations of match-fixing under a Sri Lankan law aimed at stamping out corruption in cricket in the country.

The 38-year-old was taken into custody by a police unit investigating sports-related crimes, a police spokesman told AFP.

Formal charges were yet to be filed, but the spokesman said the arrest was in connection with an incident from the Lanka Premier League (LPL).

A court impounded Senanayake’s passport last month during a police investigation into the allegations.

Senanayake, 38, last played for Sri Lanka in 2016 and made 74 international appearances.

He is accused of influencing two LPL players to fix matches in 2020.

Police said Senanayake is the first player to fall foul of a 2019 law that makes match-fixing a criminal offence.

A conviction could result in a maximum of 10 years in jail, a fine of up to 100 million rupees ($309,000) or both.

Former sports minister Harin Fernando introduced the tough new law after saying the International Cricket Council (ICC) considered Sri Lanka one of the most corrupt cricket nations.

Another former sports minister, Mahindananda Aluthga­mage, told parliament in 2021 that match-fixing was rife in the country.

Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga in 2012 urged fans to boycott matches in protest against what he called “mismanagement, corruption and indiscipline” in the national team.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2023