Herath was allegedly approached by the man linked to the bookie

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Sri Lanka Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has confirmed that authorities are investigating reports that a man linked to a bookmaker offered to bribe members of the national team to underperform in the recent Test series against the West Indies.

Jayasekera revealed that the man had offered wicketkeeper Kusal Perera and veteran spinner Rangana Herath tens of thousands of dollars to ensure the West Indies won the first Test in Galle in October.

“They wanted Sri Lanka to get out early for a very low score. This is a match Sri Lanka was expected to win, but if they lost, the bookie would have made a lot of money,” Jayasekera told AFP. “After Kusal turned down the offer, the man approached Herath who also rejected the offer and alerted the authorities.

“We have started a police inquiry in addition to an anti-corruption probe by Sri Lanka Cricket.”

Jayasekera also claimed that Perera’s decision to turn down the offer may have been the reason why he recently tested positive for a banned substance and had to be recalled for the national team’s ongoing tour of New Zealand.

“It is possible that something was slipped into his food or his urine sample was tampered with to get this result,” Jayasekera said. “We are doing our best to defend him.”

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chief executive Ashley de Silva refused to comment on the situation, telling AFP: “Because of the anti-corruption regulations, we cannot say anything.”