Senanayake could potentially receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine amounting to 100 million rupees (equivalent to $309,000).
COLOMBO: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Sept 7th, 2023) Sri Lanka former spin-bowler Sachithra Senanayake has been arrested over charges of match-fixing.
The arrest took place as part of an investigation into sports-related crimes, with Senanayake now facing allegations of manipulating two players to participate in match-fixing during the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL).
Senanayake, aged 38, is the first individual to be charged under a 2019 law that criminalizes match-fixing in the country.
In the event of a conviction, Senanayake could potentially receive a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine amounting to 100 million rupees (equivalent to $309,000).
The initiative was spearheaded by Harin Fernando, the former sports minister, who introduced stringent legislation in response to the International Cricket Council (ICC) labeling Sri Lanka as one of the cricketing world's most corrupt nations.
Moreover, former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage made a striking declaration in 2021, asserting that match-fixing was pervasive in the country's cricket scene.
Such concerns have not been limited to officials alone, as Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning skipper, called on fans in 2012 to boycott matches in protest against perceived "mismanagement, corruption, and indiscipline" within the national team.
