The foreign owner of a T20 cricket team in Sri Lanka’s Premier League (LPL) was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of corruption, police said, a day after a highly publicized player auction.<\/p>\n
Tamim Rahman, the owner of Dambulla Thunders and a British national, was stopped at Colombo airport before boarding a flight to Dubai. Police and immigration officials informed AFP that he was arrested following a court order on suspicion of match-fixing.<\/p>\n
Rahman has been remanded in custody until May 31 pending further investigations. He is being investigated under two provisions of the sports act related to match-fixing and attempting to organize betting.<\/p>\n
A special police unit specializing in sports corruption carried out the arrest, marking the first time an official from the LPL tournament, which began four years ago, has been detained.<\/p>\n
Those convicted under the sports act could face substantial fines and up to 10 years in prison.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Rahman’s Dambulla team spent $450,000 to purchase 24 players, including Afghanistan’s all-rounder Karim Janat for $80,000, the most expensive foreign player.<\/p>\n
Following the corruption allegations against Rahman, the tournament organizers terminated the rights of the Dambulla Thunders. The LPL rights holder, IPG Group, stated, “This termination\/retraction of rights aims to uphold the values and reputation of the LPL, ensuring that all participants adhere to the highest standards of conduct and sportsmanship.”<\/p>\n
It is not immediately clear whether the five-team tournament will proceed with only four teams or if a replacement for the Dambulla Thunders will be arranged.<\/p>\n
The LPL tournament is set to begin on July 1 and conclude on July 21.<\/p>\n