Nuwan Zoysa banned for six years for breaching ICC anti-corruption code
His ban has been backdated to October 31, 2018, when he was provisionally suspended
ESPNcricinfo staff
28-Apr-2021
Nuwan Zoysa played 125 international matches for Sri Lanka • Aamir Qureshi/AFP
Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa has been banned for six years from all cricket for breaching three offences in the ICC anti-corruption code.
In November last year, Zoysa was found guilty of offences related to:
- 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 a match."
- Article 2.1.4, which involves "directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1."
- Article 2.4.4 which deals with "failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code."
Zoysa's ban has been backdated to October 31, 2018, when he had been provisionally suspended. Zoysa has also been charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching four counts of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants for the T10 League. Those proceedings are still ongoing.
"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," Alex Marshall, ICC general manager of the integrity unit, said. "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."
Since 2016, Zoysa is one of four former Sri Lanka players to have been found guilty of breaching the ICC's anti-corruption code. In 2019, Sanath Jayasuriya was banned for failing to co-operate with an Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) investigation. In 2016, former Sri Lanka offspinner Jayananda Warnaweera was also suspended for breaching the code. Earlier this month, former Sri Lanka allrounder Dilhara Lokuhettige was banned for eight years.
Zoysa played 30 Tests and 95 ODIs for Sri Lanka in an international career that spanned close to a decade. He picked up a combined 172 wickets across both formats.