A day after announcing the dissolution of the Dambulla Thunders franchise due to the arrest of its owner Tamim Rahman on suspicion of match-fixing, Sri Lanka Cricket on Thursday said its T20 league will go ahead with the full schedule of matches and will include all five teams. . SLC announced that the franchise will have a new owner and the tournament will be held as planned from July 1 to 21. “The Lanka Premier League Season 5 will continue with its full schedule and roster of matches for the five teams,” a release said.
It said SLC is in the final stages of confirming the new ownership.
“We assure all players, fans and stakeholders that the integrity of the league and the spirit of cricket will be protected throughout the tournament.” Rahman, a British citizen of Bangladeshi origin, was arrested by immigration officials at the city’s Bandaranaike International Airport following a court order.
The Dambulla franchise was purchased by Bangladeshi entrepreneurs-led Imperial Sports Group in April.
However, the exact charges against Rahman are not yet clear.
“Although the details of the allegations against Mr Rahman are not clear, the integrity and smooth functioning of the Lanka Premier League is of utmost importance,” the SLC said on Wednesday.
Rahman was being investigated under two provisions of the country’s Sports Act related to attempted match-fixing and betting.
Commenting on the development, Anil Mohan, chairman of LPL rights holder IPG Group, said, “We are committed to the highest standards of transparency and professionalism and will continue to support all of our teams, players and fans during this transition.” Recently, a Sri Lankan court ordered Indian nationals Yoni Patel and P Akash to surrender their passports as both are set to be charged for match fixing in the unsanctioned Legends Cricket League in Colombo.
Patel owns a team in the non-sanctioned Legends League.
The duo, who are currently on bail, have been accused of trying to fix matches in the league, which was played at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy between March 8 and 19.
Sri Lanka became the first South Asian country to criminalize match-fixing and corruption in sports when it passed a law against the menace in 2019. Anyone found guilty can be jailed for up to 10 years and may also have to pay a fine.
The law also provides for punishing acts of omission such as failure to report corrupt practices.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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