After being accused of manipulating several matches, former Sri Lanka mystery spinner Sachithra Senanayake was given a three-month travel ban and charged with match fixing. The 38-year-old was notable for only participating in one Test match, 49 ODIs, and 24 T20 Internationals for the national side. He was later charged with match-fixing in the inaugural Lanka Premier League in 2020.
The former spinner also called two cricket players and suggested manipulating a game. The specifics of the case have not been made public, but according to sources, the Special Investigation Unit of the Sports Ministry has now given the Attorney General’s Department the go-ahead to file criminal charges against the cricketer from Colombo.
Notably, Sachithra Senanayake competed in his first international match against South Africa in 2012.
He rapidly gained notoriety because batters found it very challenging to tackle him in the center. His reputation further improved when he played in Sri Lanka’s spin-friendly conditions before being acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL auction.
But when he played international cricket, everything suddenly altered for him.Sachithra Senanayake career with Sri Lanka was cut short after his alleged questionable behavior led to an international cricket ban in 2014. He made his comeback in 2015 but wasn’t very successful, as he played his final international game against Australia in 2016. He played a total of 112 First Class matches before narrowing his attention to just domestic cricket. Senanayake has played 186 matches and taken 283 wickets in List A cricket, totaling 567 wickets in the process.
The former cricketer’s 2014 dismissal of Jos Buttler in the non-striker’s end ranks among the most notable moments of his international career. Sachithra Senanayake removed the bells despite the fact that the current England captain had been cautioned in the previous over but was still further out from the crease. As Sri Lanka went on to win the game by six wickets, the incident caused quite a scene and the cricketer received harsh condemnation from the Edgbaston fans.