ICC probes Sri Lanka official over match fixing

COLOMBO: The International Cricket Council has launched a probe into a top Sri Lankan official suspected of involvement in match-fixing, the sport's local governing body said today.

Jayananda Warnaweera, curator of the Galle International Stadium, is under investigation by the ICC's anti corruption unit, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Prakash Shaffter said.

Warnaweera, who resigned from the SLC's board last week, is barred from taking part in the Test match at the Galle stadium starting on Wednesday between Sri Lanka and West Indies, pending the probe, Shaffter said.

"We requested him to refrain from performing any functions for the foreseeable future and he acceded to our request," Shaffter told AFP.

Official sources said the anti-corruption investigation had been going on for nearly a month, but SLC was only formally told on Friday.

Warnaweera was not immediately available for comment, but official sources said he did not turn up for questioning by ICC investigators. Details of the alleged wrongdoing were not known.

Sri Lankan players and umpires have been accused of match fixing in the past. But this is the first time a senior official has been accused of involvement.