Sri Lanka first-class cricketer Saliya Saman banned from all formats for 5 years under Anti-corruption code

NEW DELHI: Former Sri Lankan domestic cricketer Saliya Saman has been banned from all cricket for five years after an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code.

Saman was among eight people charged in September 2023 for breaching the Code, according to the ICC website.

The ban is backdated to 13 September 2023, when Saman was provisionally suspended, as one of eight people – all associated with the Pune Devils franchise in the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 tournament – charged with breaching the code.

Those eight included the Bangladesh allrounder Nasir Hossain, who in January 2024 was banned for two years after being found guilty of the three charges against him.

The charges relate to the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League and attempts to corrupt matches in that tournament, which were disrupted by the ICC, the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (DACO) for the purposes of the ECB’s Code for the tournament.

Following a full hearing and presentation of written and oral argument, the Tribunal found Saman guilty. The charges against Saman relate to three articles of the ECB’s anti-corruption code.

Article 2.1.1 – Being party to an attempt to fix, contrive, or influence improperly matches or aspects of matches in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021.

Article 2.1.3 – Offering a Reward to another Participant in exchange for that player engaging in Corrupt Conduct under the Code.

Article 2.1.4 – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1.

The 39-year-old Saman, an allrounder who has played 101 first-class matches, 77 List A games and 47 T20S, last played a recognised fixture during the SLC Twenty20 Tournament in March 2021. (ANI)