Former Sri Lanka cricketer Dilhara Lokuhettige has been banned from all cricket for eight years after he was found guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Code by an Anti-Corruption Tribunal of the global cricket governing body.
The ban is backdated to April 3, 2019, when the all-rounder was provisionally suspended, the ICC said in a statement.
Lokuhettige has been found to guilty of three charges of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. He was charged under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code in November 2019 but exercised his right to a hearing.
The three-member tribunal also found him guilty of the charges:
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 – 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.
“Mr Lokuhettige has also been charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) with breaching three counts of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants for the T10 League and these proceedings are ongoing,” the ICC said.
“Having represented Sri Lanka in international cricket, Dilhara had attended a number of anti-corruption education sessions and would have known his actions were a breach of the Code,” head of ICC’s integrity unit, Alex Marshall, said.
“The severity of the sanction reflects the seriousness of his offences and his continued refusal to cooperate and should serve as a deterrent for anyone considering getting involved in corruption of any kind,” he added.