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Sanath was given ‘all clear’ by ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit

16 Oct 2022

By Marlon Dale Ferreira Former National Cricket Captain and Master Blaster Sanath Jayasuriya said that he had been completely cleared by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) after his two-year ban ended more than two years ago. He made this declaration responding to a complaint made by National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) Secretary General Maxwell de Silva to Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe. Barely a week ago, the NOCSL Secretary General sent a letter to Minister Ranasinghe objecting to the Master Blaster’s appointment as a member of the new seven-man National Sports Selection Committee (NSSC) of Sri Lanka.  De Silva’s complaint was triggered after Minister Ranasinghe issued a Government gazette superseding a pact that was signed in 1986 between the International Olympic Council and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1986, which agreed on guidelines when appointing a NSSC.  This pact was signed when Vincent Perera was the Minister of Sports and the incumbent Sports Minister was merely nine years old.    Maxwell de Silva, in his letter addressed to Minister Ranasinghe and copied to President Ranil Wickremesinghe and several international bodies, stated: “I am also perturbed to note the following: Appointment of a member who was found guilty by an International Federation to the NSSC violating IOC Charter (match fixing, etc.).” This was one of the complaints that the NOCSL Secretary General had made, whilst refusing to accept his own appointment to the seven-man NSSC. Meanwhile, Sanath Jayasuriya told The Sunday Morning Sports: “It has been over two years since I have been cleared by ICC’s Integrity Unit Chairman Alex Marshall and I am free to accept any position in an ICC sanctioned or appointed body.” “I have been away from cricket even after my ban ended over two-and-a-half years ago and only accepted this post offered by the Sports Minister as I considered it an honour to serve my country. I also stepped forward recently and accepted to be the Brand Ambassador of Sri Lanka to support the Ministry of Tourism. Nevertheless, my legal representatives will respond shortly to this complaint by sending a letter to the Minister of Sports.” The Sunday Morning Sports can confirm that ICC Integrity Unit Chairman Alex Marshall did in fact notify Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Siva through an email dated 3 November 2020 that Sanath Jayasuriya had met the terms of his two-year sanction and had also completed all required protocols and that he was free to resume participation in cricket.  On the same day, Sanath Jayasuriya had posted the following on his Facebook page: “I am happy to announce that the ICC ACU has informed me that the terms of my agreed sanction have been met and my period of ineligibility has concluded. I am now, therefore, re-eligible to participate or be otherwise involved in the game of cricket. “I reiterate the fact that I have always maintained a high degree of integrity throughout my cricketing career. I have always put country first and the cricket loving public are the best witness to this aspect. “I am grateful and extend my sincere thanks to the Sri Lankan public and my fans who supported me throughout this period. You were a source of great strength to me during this difficult time. “I thank the Anti-Corruption Unit of the ICC for the cooperation extended to me in this regard and I extend my appreciation for the services rendered to me by my lawyers, President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa and Attorney-at-Law Vishwa de Livera Tennekoon.”  


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