Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake has been suspended for two months by the country's cricket board for alleged involvement in a match-fixing attempt during a Test match against the West Indies ©SLC

Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake has been suspended for two months by the country's cricket board for alleged involvement in a match-fixing attempt during the country's Test match with the West Indies in October.

Spin bowler Rangana Herath and wicketkeeper Kusal Perera, recently given a provisional ban for failing a drugs test, claimed they were offered money to invoke a batting collapse within the game in Galle, which they won by an innings and six runs.

The allegations centre on Samaranayake employing net bowler Gayan Vishwajith, a relative nobody within Sri Lankan cricket, who reportedly tried to influence the players to lose the match during training sessions.

Sri Lanka's Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera revealed back in December that the fee involved was around Rs10 million (£49,000/$69,000/€64,000).

Vishwajith has been banned from any involvement from attending any cricketing premises in Sri Lanka.

“Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has received several complaints regarding a close acquaintance of Anusha Samaranayake with the main suspect Gayan Vishwajith, who had approached several national players for the alleged illegal activities of match-fixing,” an SLC statement said.

As part of the match-fixing probe, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Matthews, along with Herath and Perera, appeared in front of the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) in the nation to give their side of events.

Spin bowler Rangana Herath and wicketkeeper Kusal Perera brought the matter to the attention of the authorities
Spin bowler Rangana Herath and wicketkeeper Kusal Perera brought the matter to the attention of the authorities ©Getty Images

Jerry Woutersz, manager of the national team, also gave a statement to the FCID.

During the hearing, it was revealed Perera was asked to score less than 18 runs in the Test against the West Indies.

He was eventually out for 23 and a source close to the player told the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka that the player was under considerable pressure to score more than 18.

The 25-year-old, who could be banned for four years by the International Cricket Council after he was sent home from Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in December following a positive drugs test, declined the money offered and reported the matter to the authorities, it is claimed. 

“The aim of the police investigation is not to destroy the good name of the national cricketers but to protect it,” Jayasekera, who was alerted to the allegations before informing the police, told BBC Sinhala.

“We do have clear information that players were offered money to fix matches.

“All the players have rejected that offer.”