Sri Lankan cricketer Praveen Jayawickrama has been suspended for one year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for admitting to violating the cricket Anti-Corruption Code. This suspension stems from his breach of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code—a set of regulations designed to uphold the integrity of the sport of cricket.
Suspension Incident Details
In August this year, an old classmate of Jayawickrama (referred to as [MR X]) contacted him, asking for his help in manipulating an upcoming Lanka Super League match. [MR X] offered Jayawickrama and another player (referred to as [PLAYER A]) substantial financial rewards to participate in the manipulation. Although Jayawickrama refused to contact [PLAYER A] directly, he provided [MR X] with [PLAYER A]'s phone number. However, Jayawickrama failed to report this situation to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), which was one of the key factors in his charges. When he found out that [MR X] was under police investigation, he deleted all messages related to the corrupt contact, including details about the payment amounts. This obstruction of the investigation was one of the main reasons for his eventual suspension.
Charges Overview
In August 2024, Jayawickrama was charged with violating three key clauses of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, mainly involving his failure to report corrupt contacts and obstructing subsequent investigations.
One of Jayawickrama's most serious charges was obstructing the investigation by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU). He deleted key messages that could serve as evidence of corrupt contact, violating clause 2.4.7 of the Anti-Corruption Code, which prohibits any act that obstructs or delays an investigation. Additionally, he was found guilty of failing to report two corrupt contacts to the ACU. Despite having received anti-corruption training, he failed to report these incidents to the designated officials, directly violating the provisions of clause 2.4.4 of the Code.
By failing to report the contact incidents, Jayawickrama not only breached the trust of the ICC but also exposed himself to severe penalties. Jayawickrama was handed a one-year suspension, with six months of the suspension period being suspended due to his guilty plea and cooperation with the investigation.
