A third Sri Lankan is charged with corruption

Dilhara Lokuhettige has become the third former Sri Lanka player in the past month to be hit with corruption charges.

The 38-year-old, who won nine one-day and two Twenty20 caps for his country, joins former World Cup winner and selector Sanath Jayasuriya and bowling coach Nuwan Zoysa, who were both charged after investigations by the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit (ACU).

Lokuhettige’s case differs in that his three charges relate to breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board’s code and relate to last December’s T10 Cricket League in the United Arab Emirates. He was not listed as a player or coach with any of the T10 squads, which included a ‘Team Sri Lanka’ side. Zoysa was the team’s bowling coach.

Lokuhettige has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect, the ICC has announced.

The world governing body detailed the charges, which accuse Lokuhettige of: being party to an effort to contrive or fix an aspect of a domestic match; encouraging a player to influence an aspect of a match; and, failing to swiftly disclose the issue to the designated anti-corruption officer.

The ICC said: “Mr Lokuhettige has 14 days from November 13, 2018 to respond to the charges. The ICC will not make any further comment in respect of these charges at this stage.”

The 2017 I10 league was the inaugural competition, with England’s Eoin Morgan captain of Kerala Kings and India’s Virender Sehwag the captain of Maratha Arabians.

England, meanwhile, will field an unchanged XI in the second Test against Sri Lanka which begins today at Pallekele Stadium in Kandy. The tourists have opted to leave out the fit-again Jonny Bairstow following the resounding victory in the first Test in Galle. England captain Joe Root says Ben Stokes is eager to shoulder the “added responsibility” of batting in the problem position of number three.