By Vyshnavy Velrajh
Former Sri Lanka Cricketer and Coach Avishka Gunawardene has called for an inquiry into his provisional suspension from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) over an incident relating to the T10 Cricket Tournament held in Dubai in 2017.
Gunawardene’s calls for an inquiry comes on the heels of an inquiry conducted on former cricketers Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara over match-fixing allegations relating to the 2011 Cricket World Cup final between Sri Lanka and India.
Gunawardene pointed out that an inquiry had immediately been launched on the 2011 World Cup, and questioned as to why there was a delay in initiating an inquiry on his request, despite multiple appeals being made to various authorities.
The suspension without an inquiry was issued on Gunawardene for not reporting an incident in which he is said to have been present during an alleged conversation among 3 persons with regard to the T10 tournament in Dubai.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had issued a charge- sheet on the incident in May 2019, with Gunawardene having challenged it in response.
Speaking to Newswire, Avishka Gunawardene said he has been provisionally suspended from SLC for the last 14- months despite multiple requests for an inquiry.
“Requests for an inquiry into the matter were made on various occasions from former Minister of Sports Harin Fernando, current Minister of Sports Dullus Alahapperuma and Sri Lanka Cricket. However, I only received a response claiming they will look into it, but an inquiry is yet to be initiated,” he said.
Gunawardene said he has challenged the charge sheet issued by the ICC on the following grounds.
- The tournament was not sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
- The Sri Lankan team that participated in the tournament had not been sanctioned by the then Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera. The Minister himself had revealed to the media that he was unaware of the tournament.
- Charged under the code of the Emirates Cricket Board. A Sri Lankan cricketer is bound by the codes of the ICC or Sri Lanka Cricket. How can charges be issued under the code of the Emirates Cricket Board?
- Chief Selector of the Sri Lanka Cricket team in 2017 Graeme Labrooy has said the team was not selected by him as it was not a national tour, thus making it a private tour.
- ICC had revealed that the tournament was not sanctioned by it and does not fall under the ICC’s jurisdiction. Hence, how can the charge- sheet on the provisional suspension be issued by the ICC?
Avishka Gunawardene questioned as to how a provisional suspension could be issued over a tournament that had neither been sanctioned by the ICC or the SLCC, stating that a tour that was not sanctioned by the ICC, SLC or the Sports Minister must be deemed a private tour.
Questions have also been raised as to how a team representing Sri Lanka participated in a foreign tournament if the team was not selected by the Chief Selector of the National team or approved by the Sports Minister, he pointed out.
Gunawardene said he has requested via the Right to Information Bill for the documentation on the approval of both the Ministry of Sports and the SLC for the team that represented Sri Lanka at the T10 Tournament in Dubai in 2017, but he is yet to receive a response in this regard.
“Enquiries made from the Emirates Cricket Board too remain futile, as I have not received any response over the last 14- months”, he said.
Gunawardene further pointed out that at the time of the tournament, two Indian businessmen had claimed to media to be the owners of the Sri Lankan team.
He questioned as to how a Sri Lanka Cricket team could be owned by Indians, casting more doubt on the charges issued against him by the ICC.
Former Cricketer Avishka Gunawardene added that based on these suspicions he has called for a fair inquiry into his provisional suspension from SLC spanning over the last 14- months. (Newswire)