Saliya Saman Handed Five-Year Ban for Corruption in Abu Dhabi T10 League

Saliya Saman Handed Five-Year Ban for Corruption in Abu Dhabi T10 League

Former Sri Lankan domestic cricketer Saliya Saman has been handed a five-year ban from all forms of cricket after being found guilty of multiple breaches of the Emirates Cricket Board's (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code during the 2021 edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 League.

The decision was delivered by an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal appointed by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which acted on behalf of the ECB. The tribunal found that Saman had participated in corrupt activities aimed at influencing matches during the tournament.

The ICC, which served as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official for the league, intervened and disrupted the attempted corruption. Saman was one of eight individuals charged in September 2023, and has since been under provisional suspension.

The charges for which Saman was found guilty include:

  • Being part of an attempt to fix or improperly influence match results or events during the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 League (Article 2.1.1).

  • Offering rewards to other participants as an incentive to engage in corrupt conduct (Article 2.1.3).

  • Facilitating or encouraging other players to breach the anti-corruption code (Article 2.1.4).

Following a thorough process involving both written and oral evidence, the Tribunal concluded that Saman had breached multiple provisions of the Code. His five-year ban has been backdated to begin on September 13, 2023, the date of his provisional suspension.

This development is part of the ICC and ECB's continued efforts to maintain the integrity of global cricket, particularly in fast-paced leagues such as the Abu Dhabi T10.