Sanath Jayasuriya quietly assumed the role of Sri Lanka's interim head coach about a month ago, succeeding Englishman Chris Silverwood, who stepped down after the Twenty20 World Cup. Given Jayasuriya’s legendary status as a former player, his appointment seemed like a natural choice to fill the void left by their previous foreign coach.
However, Jayasuriya’s past is marred by a significant blemish. In 2019, he was handed a two-year ban under the ICC’s anti-corruption code for failing to cooperate with a lengthy and thorough investigation into corruption within Sri Lankan cricket. Despite his convoluted explanations being disproved by investigators, Jayasuriya was never charged with spot-fixing or match-fixing. Instead, he admitted to two counts of obstruction and non-cooperation. At the time, he issued a statement clarifying that no corruption, betting, or misuse of inside information charges were brought against him. He explained that he chose to admit the charges early on for the love of cricket, to protect the integrity of the sport, and reiterated that he had maintained a high level of integrity throughout his career.
It remains a remarkable twist of fate that a former national selector, who wielded considerable influence over hundreds of players, was banned under the anti-corruption code but has returned to lead the national team just four years after serving his ban, which was backdated to October 2018. Jayasuriya, having served his time, is now free to work in cricket again. Rehabilitation, after all, is as important as punishment. Fans will be eager to see if he can bring back some of the flair and confidence he exhibited during his playing days to the national side. Yet, this situation raises broader questions about cricket's stance on corruption and how someone with such a tainted past can resume such an influential role with little public outcry. A similar situation occurred with Shakib Al Hasan, who was banned for a comparable offense but quickly rejoined the Bangladesh team after serving his suspension without facing long-term consequences.