Sri Lanka's Nuwan Zoysa handed a six-year ban under ICC Anti-Corruption Code

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Nuwan Zoysa, who played 30 Tests and 95 ODIs for the Island nation, has been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for six years. An Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

The ban was backdated to 31 October 2018, when the 42-year-old was provisionally suspended.

"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, the ICC General Manager - Integrity Unit said.

Nuwan Zoysa came under the scanner after his stint as bowling coach in a T10 competition in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Colombo-born speedster has also been charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) after he breached three counts of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants for the T10 League. Proceedings for these charges are still undergoing and sanctions for the breaches are yet to be announced.

Zoysa banned for six years under ICC Anti-Corruption Code https://t.co/CYBhq22Oh0 via @ICC

— ICC Media (@ICCMediaComms) April 28, 2021

The charges for which Nuwan Zoysa has been found guilty

Nuwan Zoysa has been found guilty by the ICC Anti-corruption Tribunal of four offenses. They are as follows:

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.

Nuwan Zoysa has joined former cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya and Jayananda Warnaweera as the third Sri Lankan cricketer to be banned in the last few years for breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code (ACU). While Jayasuriya was banned in 2019 for not cooperating with the ACU investigations, Warnaweera was banned in 2016.