Former Lankan spinner Sachithra Senanayake arrested on match-fixing charges

Colombo: Former Sri Lankan cricketer Sachithra Senanayake was arrested on Wednesday over match-fixing charges after he appeared before the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Sports Ministry.

Last month, the Colombo Magistrate issued an order banning the 38-year-old from traveling abroad for three months.

This was on a direction by the Attorney General to SIU to frame criminal charges against the former off-spinner.

According to the charges, Senanayake had allegedly approached two cricketers in the first edition of the Lanka Premier League in 2020 on the phone from Dubai to fix matches.

Senanayake has denied all the allegations claiming they were false and baseless.

An anticipatory bail filed before Colombo Magistrate by Senanayake against his arrest in 2021 was turned down.

The 38-year-old played a solitary Test, 49 ODIs and 24 T20 internationals between 2012 and 2016.

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