Like he made his international debut almost from the blues, one of Sri Lanka’s precious Test cricketers Praveen Jayawickrema has been sucked into blacklisting at the corruption tainted Lanka Premier League (LPL) to the utter dismay of many who saw the left arm spin bowler as an unsung legend in the making.
Jayawickrema who went into hibernation in June 2022 after wearing the Sri Lanka cap for the first time in 2021, has been charged by the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) of involvement in corruption at the LPL by his failure to inform them of a nudge made by a match-fixer.
In a media statement the ICC said it charged Jayawickrema with: “Failing to report to the Anti Corruption Unit without unnecessary delay details of an approach he received in which he was asked to approach another player on a corruptor’s behalf to carry out fixing in the 2021 Lanka Premier League”.
The now 25-year old Jayawickrema has also been charged with “obstructing the investigation by deleting messages in which the approaches and offers to engage in corrupt conduct were made”.
Making his debut with the Sri Lanka Test team against Bangladesh in 2021 at Pallekele, Jayawickrema did not disappoint and grabbed a haul of 11 wickets in the match that his team won.
He played four more Tests taking 25 wickets along with the same number of ODIs and T20 Internationals before mysteriously being absent from the scene.
Having shot to fame almost instantaneously, several self-styled godfathers jumped on board to claim his soul but Jayawickrema down the line had no guardian angel to guide him when he needed one and is now directed by the ICC to answer a first charge of failing to inform them of another approach he received to “carry out fixing in future international matches”.
Jayawickrema’s talent was spotted and discovered while playing junior cricket at Holy Cross College at Kalutara and was later grabbed by St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa where he graduated after enrolling at the Sinhalese Sports Club School of Cricket in Colombo that chipped off his rough edges as he learnt more about competition and the basics.
While the LPL could also unearth fresh talent, Jayawickrema today is a classic case of innocence stripped down by the dreaded and secretive match-fixing syndrome entering Sri Lanka.
Over the past four years it came to be ridden with question marks with the year 2024 taking a worse turn that left ticket holders ask questions whether they witnessed free and fair on-field cricket.
The season was marred by player managers accused of infiltrating the auction and promoting their favourites in return for commissions from marketed players although LPL director Samantha Dodanwela said the process was well monitored under ICC supervision leaving no room for player agents to enter the chamber.
But none could have prevented the LPL from being brought into more disrepute when police arrested and detained the owner of one team Dambulla Thunders named as Tamim Rahman who is a Bangladeshi holding British citizenship on charges of match-fixing.
Rahman was at the player auction and claimed he paid Rs.420 million to secure the rights of the Dambulla Thunders that was subsequently sold to a new buyer and named Dambulla Sixers while he was in remand custody.
But the LPL was rocked further when former Sri Lanka player and team manager Charith Senanayake alleged at a packed Press conference in January this year that the tournament was putting lives at risk with some team officials connected to the illegal betting industry and wanted across the Palk Straits for questioning over subversive activities.
“People connected to the Mumbai bombings (of 2008) are having stakes in the LPL. They cannot even enter India. I have brought this to the notice of the Sports Ministry”, Senanayake alleged.
Former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe last year revealed that the LPL was not authorized and run without the sanctioning of his Ministry following allegations that bookie owners and betting agents were taken on board as team sponsors.
