SLC Head Coach challenges compulsory leave before CA

Allegation of match fixing in Sharjah

• Writ petition fixed for support on 8 August

 

By S.S. Selvanayagam

The Court of Appeal yesterday (9) re-fixed the Writ petition filed by aggrieved Head Coach of Sri Lanka Cricket Avishka Gunawardana, challenging his placement on compulsory leave on the purported incident of allegation of match fixing in the ‘T-10 League’ of 2017 held in  Sharjah, for support on 8 August. The Bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda (President/CA) and Arjuna Obeysekere directed to serve notice on the Minister and the Secretary of the Ministry of Sports, who were not present or represented in Court.

Petitioner cited Members of SLC, Sports Minister Harin Fernando, Sports Ministry Secretary Chulananda Perera, Bowling Coach Nuwan Zoysa, Cricketers Sachithra Senanayake and Ramith Rambukwella as respondents.

Senior Counsel S.A. Parathalingam PC with Chrishmal Warnasuriya and Nishkan Parathalingam appeared for the Petitioner. Kuvera de Zoysa PC appeared for SLC.

Petitioner was the Head Coach of the SLC team which went to Sharjah in December 2017.

It is alleged that there was a meeting in a hotel in Sharjah and that the respondent Sachithra Senanayake was asked to concede over 15 runs and if it was done, he would receive between $ 20 to 25 thousand and that the payment will be made by way of a casino chip. The purported charge against the Petitioner is reportedly that he had been in the room of the said hotel, but he had not reported the impugned incident to the Sri Lanka Cricket Board.

Ramith Rambukwella also participated in the said ‘T-10 League’ of 2017 and based upon his statements to the International Cricket Council Anti-Corruption Unit, former national cricketer Nuwan Zoysa has been purportedly charged and provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council. Petitioner laments the impugned actions collaterally motivated by international agency, namely the ICC claiming to act on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board, which has been blindly and unquestioningly followed by SLC.

Petitioner maintains that no such meeting took place before, during or after the said ‘T-10 League’.