COLOMBO: Former Sri Lanka captain and selector Sanath Jayasuriya has said he has “always conducted [himself] with integrity and transparency with matters concerning the sport,” in the wake of being charged on two counts under the ICC’s anti-corruption code.
Jayasuriya, 49, also pointed out that the charges laid upon him “do not contain any allegations pertaining to match fixing, pitch fixing or any other similar corrupt activity,” and that they were charges that allege he has not been co-operative with the ACU’s investigations only. He made these statements in a press release on Tuesday.
The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is understood to have interviewed Jayasuriya several times before their charges were eventually laid. Some of these discussions had centred around a phone that Jayasuriya had been asked to hand over to the ACU, but had failed to present in a timely manner. Among the reasons Jayasuriya provided for the delay was that he had personal materials and videos on that phone that he was reluctant for officials to see.
In his release, Jayasuriya stated that he is “not in any position to release any comments at this moment” as he is first required to to submit his response to the ACU inside 14 days. “I am under strict legal advice that no comment is to be made in respect of the charges as such a course would offend the ICC rules,” the statement said.
