Nuwan Zoysa, Former Sri Lanka Bowler, Banned for Six Years for Breaching ICC Anti-corruption Code

Nuwan Zoysa, former Sri Lanka bowler was banned for six years after an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, an ICC release suggested. The ban for Zoysa is backdated to 31 October 2018, when he was provisionally suspended.

A tall left-arm pacer, Zoysa formed a potent opening bowling partnership for Sri Lanka along with Chaminda Vaas and played 30 Tests and 95 ODIs from 1997-2007. He picked 64 Test wickets and 108 ODI wickets thus far with the best bowling of 5/20 in Tests and 5/26 in ODI format. He also participated in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) edition in 2008 for Deccan Chargers.

Zoysa achieved the rare feat of claiming a hat-trick off his first over of the match, against Zimbabwe at Harare in 1999-2000, dismissing the likes of Trevor Gripper, Murray Goodwin, and Neil Johnson.

In His Role As A National Coach, He Should Have Acted As A Role Model,” Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager Of The Integrity Unit

Not only Zoysa has been charged by the ICC, but the bowler has also been charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for breaching three counts of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants for the T10 League. Those proceedings are still ongoing.

In November last year, Zoysa was found guilty of three offenses by the ICC.

– 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, which involves “directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1.”

– Article 2.4.4 which deals with “failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code.”

“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,” said Alex Marshall, the ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit.

Zoysa is the third former Sri Lanka player to have been found guilty of breaching the ICC’s anti-corruption code. The other two have been Sanath Jayasuriya in 2019 and Jayananda Warnaweera in 2016.

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