Ex- Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Zoysa handed six-year ban for breaching ICC Anti-Corruption Code

Former Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Zoysa has been handed a six-year ban from all sorts of cricket after he was found guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. He was found guilty by an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

In a media release issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on their official website, it has been learned that the veteran speedster's ban is backdated to 31 October 2018, when he was provisionally suspended.

What led to Nuwan Zoysa's six-year ban?

The  ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal  found the ex-left-arm bowler guilty of the following offences:

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 an International Match.

Article 2.1.4 – Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1. 

Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code.

Mr. Zoysa has also been charged by the ICC on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) with breaching four counts of the ECB Anti-Corruption Code for Participants for the T10 League and these proceedings are ongoing.

'He should have acted as a role model': Alex Marshall

Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said: “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," he added.

Read the full statement here:

Numan Zoysa's cricketing career

Nuwan Zoysa was a formidable pacer in the Sri Lankan line-up of the early 2000s. His stats in international cricket composed of some impressive numbers. The left-arm fast bowler represented the 'Emerald Island' at the highest level in 30 Tests and 95 ODIs through which he managed to collect 172 international wickets.

(Image Courtesy: ICC-Cricket.Com)