Sanath Jayasuriya Speaks Up: "Charges Against Me Have Nothing To Do With Match-Fixing, Pitch-Fixing Or Other Corrupt Activity"

Former Sri Lankan Cricketer and Ex-Chairman said charges levelled against him by the ICC had nothing to do with match-fixing. 

However, the former cricketer, issuing a statement a short while ago, said he was under strict legal advice to refrain from publicly commenting on the matter. 

Sources close to Jayasuriya said although he was ready to hold a press conference on the matter today, he later changed his mind upon legal advice.

Jayasuriya also said he would officially respond to the ICC charges within the 14-day period given to him by the international cricket governing body. 

"The content of the letter has caused a lot of speculation among the cricket loving public domestically and internationally," Jayasuriya said. 

"My legal team is in the process of drafting my response and I would make a further release on the submission of the said response," he added. 

"However I am under advice to state that the above charges do not contain any allegations pertaining to match-fixing, pitch-fixing or any other similar corrupt activity. 

"The charges allege that I have not been cooperative and not assisted their investigations," he added. 

Jayasuriya, according to the ICC, has been charged with violating two clauses of the ICC anti-corruption code, namely 

"1) Article 2.4.6 – Failure or refusal, without compelling justification, to cooperate with any investigation carried out by the ACU, including failure to provide accurately and completely any information and/or documentation requested by the ACU as part of such investigation.
2) Article 2.4.7 – Obstructing or delaying any investigation that may be carried out by the ACU, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the Anti-Corruption Code."