Former Sri Lanka and Deccan Chargers (now Sunrisers Hyderabad) paceman Nuwan Zoysa has been banned from all cricket for six years after an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The ban for Zoysa is backdated to 31 October 2018, when he was provisionally suspended.
As previously advised, following full hearings and presentations of written and oral argument, the ICC Tribunal found Zoysa guilty of:
Article 2.1.1 – for being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of an International Match.
Article 2.1.4 – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1.
Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code.
“Zoysa has also been charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) with breaching three counts of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants for the T10 League and these proceedings are ongoing,” an ICC statement read.
Zoysa played in 30 Tests and 95 ODIs for Sri Lanka, picking up 64 and 108 wickets respectively in the two format. In his eighth Test, Zoysa became the first player in the history to take a hat-trick off his first three balls of a Test match. He achieved this against Zimbabwe at Harare in November 1999, dismissing Trevor Gripper, Murray Goodwin and Neil Johnson.
The former Lankan left-arm paceman played in three games for Deccan Chargers, who are now in IPL 2021 as Sunrisers Hyderabad under new owners.
“Nuwan played 125 matches for Sri Lanka, attending a number of anti-corruption sessions during a decade-long international career. In his role as a national coach, he should have acted as a role model. Instead, he became involved with a corrupter and attempted to corrupt others. Contriving to fix a game betrays the basis of sporting principles. It will not be tolerated in our sport,” Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said.
