Sports
Rooting crooks out of the game
by Rex Clementine
The arrest of former Sri Lanka cricketer Sachithra Senanayake for attempting to corrupt the game is a landmark moment in the annals of the game in our country. The player was remanded after court impounded his passport imposing a travel ban and the police unit to investigate corruption in sports will present before the learned judge why the player needs to be punished. Senanayake faces a fine or a jail term or both after being charged with attempting to corrupt the 2020 Lanka Premier League.
When former Scotland Yard cop Alex Marshall took charge as the head of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, he launched an aggressive campaign to root out corruption from the sport. Accordingly, several players and officials have been banned from the game.
Marshall also encouraged countries to make corruption in sports a crime. It is already a crime in England and Australia but rest of the world weren’t quickly buying into Marshall’s arguments.
Sri Lanka was faced with a major problem at that time. The ICC had a record number of investigations on Sri Lankan players and officials and SLC felt the need to address the issue.
The Sports Minister at that time Harin Fernando took some initiatives and urged the Cabinet to act swiftly. Accordingly, a bill was presented to the Parliament making corruption in sports a crime. The bill was passed and a new police unit was established at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Thus Sri Lanka became the first Asian nation to make corruption in sports a crime. This will enable us to keep the game clean and root out corruption from the game.
This police unit was slow to act. Not due to any fault of theirs but they did not possess the technical expertise on how to combat corruption in sports. With the help of ICC the unit was provided with technical assistance on what needs to be done to prevent crimes in sports and to interrogate wrongdoers.
Senanayake is alleged to have approached two players during the first edition of Lanka Premier League to corrupt games. The players reported the approach. Not reporting an approach is also punishable. The former off-spinner is believed to have not cooperated with investigations and that didn’t help his case either.
This is a landmark moment because it has sent a strong message to those involved in the sport that there’s no room in the game for corruption. If they attempt to do so, they run the risk of serving jail terms.
The remainder of the tenth edition of the PSL has been moved to the UAE amid escalating border tensions between Pakistan and India. The PCB has said that the dates and venues of the remaining eight games in the PSL 2025 season would be officially confirmed in due course.
On Thursday, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi were due to play a game at the Rawalpindi Stadium, which was rescheduled following an emergency meeting. At the meeting, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi met with overseas players in the league, who overwhelmingly expressed a desire to relocate the league to the UAE.
ESPNcricinfo understands that foreign players are already on their way out of Pakistan to the UAE, where the rest of the league will be played. It is likely to be several days before the next game is played as the PCB works out which venues to play the games at.
The original schedule would have seen four of the remaining games in Rawalpindi, one in Multan, and the final three in Lahore. An earlier update from the PCB had said the league would be rescheduled, but did not confirm at the time it would be taken out of Pakistan, with Karachi considered a likely option.
The PSL, now in its tenth season, is familiar with the UAE, having started there back in 2016. It was played there in full – barring the PSL 2017 final – for the first two seasons. Part of season six, in 2021, also had to be played in the UAE because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Any delays to the PSL are likely to impact Pakistan’s international calendar, too. Bangladesh are due to arrive in Pakistan three days after the PSL final, originally slated for May 18, with the first of five T20Is to begin on May 25 in Faisalabad. The PCB told ESPNcricinfo that no decision had yet been taken on the fate of that series.
(Cricinfo)
Bangladesh Under 19s won the six-match Youth ODI series 3-2 after the final Youth ODI against Sri Lanka Under 19s ended without a result due to rain at the Colts ground on Thursday.
Sri Lanka came to the final match with the hope of leveling the series but rain prevented a full match.
Deciding to bat first, the visitors were 188 for three wickets in the 40th over when rain prevented further play.
Skipper Azizul Hakim led Bangladesh with 94 runs inclusive of seven fours and two sixes. For the hosts, Tharusha Navodya, Kugathas Mathulan and Himal Ravihansa took a wicket each.
Sri Lanka Under 19s won the opening encounter by a big margin but three consecutive defeats thereafter saw the visitors take command. Sri Lanka Under 19s bounced back in the penultimate match to keep alive the series but rain spoilt their plans in the final encounter.
110 Vision Care Colombo Championships
Apna Perera will meet Ashen Silva in the men’s singles final on Saturday after the duo won their semi-final matches of the 110th Vision Care Colombo Championships continued at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts on Thursday.
Apna Perera beat Iran Hussain 6-4, 6-1 in his semi-final while Ashen Silva beat Mayooran Kubheran 6-1, 6-0.
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