Sachithra Senanayake, a former Sri Lankan spin bowler, was arrested by police on Wednesday for match-fixing, becoming the first person to be prosecuted under a 2019 law that makes match-fixing a criminal offence in Sri Lanka.
Senanayake, 38, was taken into custody by a police unit investigating sports-related crimes. He is accused of influencing two players to fix matches in the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL).
If convicted, Senanayake could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 100 million rupees ($309,000).
The arrest comes as Sri Lanka has been trying to crack down on match-fixing. The country’s former sports minister, Harin Fernando, introduced the tough new law after saying the International Cricket Council (ICC) considered Sri Lanka one of the most corrupt cricket nations.
