Sanath Jayasuriya, one of cricket's greatest ODI players and a hero of Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup triumph, was charged by the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit in February 2019 with two breaches of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. The charges related to failing to cooperate with an investigation and concealing, tampering with, or destroying evidence.
The charges stemmed from an investigation into corruption in Sri Lankan cricket, during which Jayasuriya was alleged to have failed to provide his mobile phone and other requested information to ICC anti-corruption investigators. The ICC did not accuse Jayasuriya of match fixing itself but charged him with obstructing the investigation.
In February 2019, Jayasuriya accepted the charges and was banned from all cricket for two years. The ban meant he could not hold any official position in cricket, attend matches in an official capacity, or be involved in cricket administration. Jayasuriya had been serving as a national selector for Sri Lanka Cricket at the time.
The case highlighted the growing problem of corruption in Sri Lankan cricket, which had been the subject of multiple investigations. The Sri Lankan sports minister had previously alleged that the 2011 World Cup final between Sri Lanka and India was fixed, though no evidence was produced. Jayasuriya's ban was seen as part of a broader clean-up effort in Sri Lankan cricket.