The International Cricket Council, on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), has charged former Sri Lanka international Dilhara Lokuhettige with three counts of breaching the latter’s anti-corruption Code.
The charges relate to the T10 Cricket League played in the UAE last year. Lokuhettige has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect, stated a release from the ICC.
The ICC was appointed by the ECB as the designated anti-corruption official and is issuing this charge on their behalf. The charges are as follows:
1. Article 2.1.1 – being party to an effort to fix or contrive or to otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct, or other aspect(s) of a Domestic Match.
2. Article 2.1.4 – directly soliciting, inducing, enticing or encouraging a player to breach Code Article 2.1.1.
3. Article 2.4.4 – failure to disclose to the designated anti-corruption Officer (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code.
Lokuhettige has 14 days from November 13 to respond to the charges. The medium-pacer made his debut against India in 2005 at the Indian Oil Cup. He played nine One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals, the last of which was against India in 2013.
The league, with six teams playing the newest ten-overs-a-side format, was held in Sharjah. Lokuhettige is the third Sri Lankan player charged for violating the anti-corruption code following cases last month former captain and ex-chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya and former fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa. Jayasuriya and Zoysa were charged for matches relating to Sri Lankan national team.