The Colombo Magistrate’s Court today rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by former cricketer Sachithra Senanayake, seeking to prevent his arrest over match-fixing allegations. 

The former Sri Lanka cricketer is accused of attempting to fix matches in the 2020 Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 tournament.

The Lanka Premier League was held from November 27 to December 17, 2020 in Hambantota, Sri Lanka.

Last year, a media report had alleged that Senanayake approached a player and attempted to entice him into corrupt practice in the inaugural LPL tournament, through phone calls made from Dubai. 

The former Sri Lanka off-spinner however had refuted the allegations while claiming that they were attempts to defame and slander him. He vehemently denied any connection to him over the allegations.

The complaint is being investigated by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU as well as Sri Lanka Cricket’s anti-corruption unit, as per reports.

Senanayake had announced his retirement from all forms of the game in February last year. 

The off-break bowler represented Sri Lanka in 49 One Day Internationals, 24 T20 Internationals, and one Test match. He scalped 53 wickets in the 50-overs version and took 25 wickets in the shortest format of the game.

Sachithra last played for Sri Lanka in a T20 clash against Australia in September 2016.