Lankan curator suspended for not cooperating with ICC probe

Jayananda Warnaweera was charged with an offence under Article 2.4.6 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code

Sri Lankan pitch curator Jayananda Warnaweera was today suspended by the ICC for three years after he "failed" to cooperate in an ongoing anti-corruption investigation against him.

"The International Cricket Council today announced that it has suspended Galle International Stadium curator Jayananda Warnaweera for three years after he failed to cooperate with the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in an ongoing investigation," the ICC said in a statement.

Warnaweera was charged with an offence under Article 2.4.6 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code, which relates to "failing, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any reasonable investigation carried out by the ACU in relation to possible breaches of the Anti-Corruption Code, including failure to provide information and/or documentation requested by the ACU that may be relevant to such investigation."

The statement, however, did not specify the exact nature of corruption that Warnaweera has been accused of.

It is alleged that Warnaweera, on two separate occasions, failed to attend a scheduled interview with the ACU in relation to an investigation and failed to provide documents required from him in connection with the investigation under Article 4.3 of the Code.

"Mr Warnaweera also failed to respond in any manner to the charge and, pursuant to Article 4.8.1 of the Code, he is consequently deemed to have accepted that he committed the offence charged, waived his right to a hearing, and acceded to the imposition of a sanction within the range specified in the Code," the ICC stated.

ACU Chairman Ronnie Flanagan said the world body will not be lenient in matters pertaining to corruption.

"The ICC takes no pleasure in imposing a suspension, but this decision clearly illustrates what the Code means to the ICC and how seriously we take matters that relate to corruption," Flanagan said.

"It should also act as a reminder to Participants of the need to comply with their obligations under the Code. The ICC has a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and it will not hesitate in taking such decisions in its endeavor to eliminate this menace from the sport."

Sri Lanka Cricket has been informed of the decision.

All breaches of Articles 2.4.1 to 2.4.6 carry a minimum suspension of six months and a maximum of five years.

Warnaweera was last year barred from a Sri Lanka-West Indies Test match owing to allegations of corruption and he subsequently resigned from Sri Lanka Cricket's Board.