Ex-Lankan batsman Gunawardene charged with match-fixing

Avishka Gunawardene, left, who played six Tests and 61 ODIs between 1998 and 2006, was also suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket as the head coach of the country's Emerging Team. File photo: AFP

Former Sri Lanka batsman Avishka Gunawardene was provisionally suspended with immediate effect on Friday after being charged with match-fixing by the International Cricket Council.

The charges relate to the United Arab Emirates' T10 League held in December, 2017.

The 41-year-old has been charged with two counts of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board's (ECB) anti-corruption code, including "directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any participant" to fix a match.

Gunawardene, who played six Tests and 61 One-Day International (ODI)s between 1998 and 2006, was also suspended by Sri Lanka Cricket as the head coach of the country's Emerging Team.

Former Sri Lanka paceman and bowling coach Nuwan Zoysa also faces fresh charges of breaching the ECB's anti-corruption code.

Zoysa, who played 30 Tests and 95 ODIs between 1997 and 2007, was already provisionally suspended for three breaches of the ICC's anti-corruption code in November.

The duo has until May 23 to respond to the charges.

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