New Delhi, August 15 : The International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Tribunal has slapped a five-year ban on former Sri Lankan domestic cricketer Saliya Saman, after finding him guilty of violating the Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code.
Saman was among eight individuals charged in September 2023 in connection with corruption attempts during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 League. According to the ICC, these plots to manipulate matches were foiled by the tournament’s Designated Anti-Corruption Officials (DACOs), working under both ICC and ECB codes.
Following a full hearing and the presentation of written and oral arguments, the tribunal found Saman guilty of the following breaches:
-Article 2.1.1 :Being involved in an effort to fix, manipulate, or improperly influence the outcome or aspects of matches in the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10.
-Article 2.1.3 :Offering rewards to another participant in exchange for engaging in corrupt conduct under the Code.
-Article 2.1.4 : Inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging, or intentionally assisting another participant to breach Article 2.1 of the Code.
The ban is effective from September 13, 2023 — the date Saman was provisionally suspended.
This latest ruling underscores the ICC’s zero-tolerance stance on match-fixing and corruption, sending a strong warning to players and officials across all formats and leagues.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
