Cricket Albury-Wodonga and Tallangatta will provide support for former Sri Lankan representative Dilhara Lokuhettige after he was sensationally charged by the International Cricket Council on Tuesday night.
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Acting on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board, the ICC charged Lokuhettige with three counts of breaching the ECB’s Anti-Corruption Code.
They relate to the T10 Cricket League played in the UAE last year.
The charges are:
- Being party to an effort to fix or contrive or to otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct, or other aspect(s) of a domestic match
- Directly soliciting, inducing, enticing or encouraging a player to breach Code Article 2.1.1 (see above)
- Failure to disclose to the designated anti-corruption officer (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in corrupt conduct under the code
Lokuhettige has until November 27 to respond.
The all-rounder has been provincially suspended with immediate effect.
“Both organisations (CAW and Tallangatta) respect the provisional suspension in place and will support Mr Lokuhettige through this process until the matter is resolved,” a CAW press release said.
“Neither Cricket Albury-Wodonga nor Tallangatta Cricket Club is able to make further comment at this stage with respect to the charges.”
Lokuhettige became the association’s first international in almost 25 years when he debuted for the Bushies in October, 2016.
Tallangatta coach Matt Armstrong said he was unable to speak on the matter.
However, the Bushies’ mentor was quick to quash speculation that the club’s other boom import – Indian all-rounder Sahib Malhotra – wouldn’t return after Christmas as he chases Canadian residency status.
“He’s looking to apply for residency somewhere in the world, whether it’s Australia, Canada, America, his brother is in America, so he’s just basically looking with his fiancee around where they might look to settle,” Armstrong said.
“He’s contracted to play for us, he’s indicated to me he’ll be here for the finals and make a big impression.
“He’d like to win a flag, that’s his priority at the moment.”
Malhotra is the most vital player in the Bushies’ premiership plans.
He boasts a phenomenal average of 205 this season, having been dismissed just once in four innings.
With last season included, Malhotra has 646 runs at 92, including two centuries.
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