Dubai, Aug 15 (PTI): Former Sri Lankan domestic cricketer Saliya Saman has been banned from all cricket for five years after an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code.

Saman was among eight people charged in September 2023 for breaching the Code.

The ban is backdated to 13 September 2023, when Saman was provisionally suspended and hence he has already served two years of his sentence.

The 39-year-old Saman played 101 first-class and 77 List A games.

The charges relate to the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League and attempts to corrupt matches in that tournament which were disrupted by the ICC, the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (DACO) for the purposes of the ECB’s Code for the tournament.

Saman has been charged on three counts 2.1.1, 2.1.3 and 2.1.4.

Article 2.1.1 states: "Being party to an attempt to fix, contrive or influence improperly matches or aspects of matches in the Abu Dhabi T10 2021."

As per Article 2.1.3, Saman offered "a Reward to another Participant in exchange for that player engaging in Corrupt Conduct under the Code."

Article 2.1.4 states: "Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1".

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Two people were killed, and another was severely injured after a goods vehicle transporting poultry birds allegedly rammed into a stationary truck on a national highway in Belagavi in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

The deceased have been identified as Wasim (28) and Mubarak (22), both natives of Shivamogga district, they said.

The driver of the vehicle, Basavaraj Eerappa Hanchinamani (37), suffered critical injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, police said.

According to police, the accident occurred when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, allegedly due to drowsiness, and crashed into a truck parked along the highway.

The goods vehicle was en route from Kolhapur to Sorab in Shivamogga district, carrying poultry. Several chickens were also killed in the impact, a senior police officer said.

Police personnel from the Hirebagewadi Police Station visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Injured people and the bodies of the deceased were shifted to a hospital, police added.