Zoysa, Gunawardene charged under ECB anti-corruption code

DUBAI: Former Sri Lankan cricketers Nuwan Zoysa and Avishka Gunawardene have been charged by the International Cricket Council for breaching the Emirates Cricket Board's Anti Corruption Code.

The breach relates to the T10 league that was played in the UAE last year in December. While Zoysa was charged for breaching four counts of the ECB's Code, Gunawardene was found to have breached two.

The ICC issued the charges on the ECB’s behalf. Zoysa and Gunawardene have 14 days from 9 May to respond to the charges.

The charges follow a recent amnesty to participants who had previously failed to report any information concerning corrupt conduct in Sri Lankan cricket.

The two former Sri Lanka players have been charged with the following offences under the Code:
Zoysa's offences:
    Article 2.1.1 - for being party to an agreement to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of a 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.
    Article 2.4.6 - Failing or refusing, without compelling justification to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the ACU in relation to possible Corrupt Conduct under the Code

Zoysa is already suspended as a result of being charged with three breaches of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Code in November last year, these charges are pending determination.

That provisional suspension remains in full force and effect and Zoysa has additionally been provisionally suspended under the ECB Code pending the determination of these new charges.

Gunawardene's offences:
    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 2.4.5 - Failing to disclose to the ACU (without unnecessary delay) full details of any incident, fact, or matter that comes to the attention of a Participant that may evidence Corrupt Conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code by another Participant.

Gunawardene has also been provisionally suspended under the ECB Code pending the determination of these charges.