Dubai: Former Sri Lanka cricketer Dilhara Lokuhettige was Monday banned from all cricket for eight years. Dilhara Lokuhettige was found guilty of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The ban for Dilhara, a right-arm fast-medium bowler and lower-order batsman, is backdated to April 3, 2019. The cricketer was then provisionally suspended.
“Having represented Sri Lanka in international cricket, Dilhara had attended a number of anti-corruption education sessions. He would have known his actions were a breach of the Code,” Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said in a release.
“The severity of the sanction reflects the seriousness of his offences and his continued refusal to cooperate. It should serve as a deterrent for anyone considering getting involved in corruption of any kind,” Marshall added.
The 40-year-old had retired in September 2016. He represented Sri Lanka in nine ODIs and two T20 Internationals. He was found guilty of three offences under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code in January this year, following a hearing by an independent tribunal.
Dilhara was charged under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code in November 2019 for his involvement in match-fixing. It happened during a T20 tournament in UAE in 2017, where a Sri Lankan team participated.