Legend Cricket League manager indicted for match-fixing in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Cricket team manager of the Legend Cricket League 2024, Yoni Patel has been indicted before the Colombo High Court over match-fixing charges, the Attorney General informed the court.

Patel was charged over match-fixing allegations during the Legend Cricket League 2024 on complaints by former New Zealand legend Neil Broom, who represented the team Punjab Royals and Sri Lankan cricketer Upul Tharanga, who represents the Kandy Samp Army team.

The two former cricket stars had alleged that they were pressurised into engaging in match-fixing deals by Patel. According to the initial investigations, one of the alleged match-fixers had approached players with offers of money to under-perform and fix the result of the matches.

When the magisterial inquiry against Yoni Patel was taken up before the Colombo Magistrate on Monday, the State Counsel representing Sri Lanka’s Attorney General informed that an indictment for a criminal trial before the High Court had already been filed.

Earlier, Colombo Magistrate also issued a travel ban on Patel and another team manager P. Akash of the Legend Cricket League from leaving Sri Lanka.

Featuring seven teams comprising retired international cricketers from England, Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and the West Indies, the Legend Cricket League 2024 was held from March 8 to 19 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in the island’s Central province mountains in Kandy.

The tournament with seven franchise which were owned by overseas business tycoons had been mooted to rival a Legends championship titled the Road Safety series in India which was given official recognition by the Indian cricket board. Country’s cricket governing body, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was not officially involved in the tournament but only provided the venue for the championship.