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Praveen Jayawickrama has been suspended for a year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaking its anti-corruption code. After acknowledging to hindering an investigation, he received a penalty that included a six-month suspension.
Jayawickrama’s intervention with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is the primary cause of his infractions. During their inquiry, the cricket player was accused by the ACU of hiding evidence and manipulating it, including deleting important messages. Article 2.4.7 of the Anti-Corruption Code, which forbids interfering with or delaying ACU investigations in any way, was broken by this behavior.
Additionally, Jayawickrama faced charges related to failing to report corrupt approaches, a key responsibility for all players under Article 2.4.4 of the Code. He was contacted by a former schoolmate, referred to as [MR X], who aimed to manipulate matches in the 2021 Lanka Premier League. Jayawickrama refused to directly engage in the fixing attempt but still shared the contact details of [PLAYER A], a fellow Sri Lankan cricketer, without reporting the incident to anti-corruption officials.
According to the investigation, [MR X] promised Jayawickrama and [PLAYER A] significant financial incentives—offering 60 lakhs Sri Lankan rupees to [PLAYER A] and 50 lakhs to Jayawickrama if they participated in the fix. While [PLAYER A] reported the approach, Jayawickrama chose not to inform the authorities. Later, [MR X] tried to involve Jayawickrama in another fixing scheme, suggesting he could earn money through minor actions like bowling a no-ball during an international match. Jayawickrama rejected the offer but again failed to report it. When [MR X] became the subject of a police investigation, Jayawickrama deleted all incriminating messages.
Sports corruption is still a problem, as seen by the numerous recent incidents in a variety of competitions. Football in particular has seen prominent figures charged with betting-related offenses, including Lucas Paquetá of the Premier League, Ivan Toney, and Sandro Tonali. Additionally, 43 people were given lifetime bans by the Chinese Football Association last month for their involvement in match-fixing.
The ICC is still working to combat corruption, and incidents like Jayawickrama’s serve as a reminder of the ongoing scrutiny needed to preserve the integrity of the sport.