ICC bans top Sri Lankan official

COLOMBO — The International Cricket Council Wednesday imposed a three-year ban on top Sri Lankan official Jayananda Warnaweera for failing to cooperate with an anti-corruption investigation. The world governing body said Warnaweera, a former Test player who was already facing a two-year domestic ban over allegations of involvement in match-fixing, had failed to attend interviews with its anti-corruption unit (ACU). “Warnaweera failed, on two separate occasions, to attend a scheduled interview with the ACU in relation to an ongoing investigation and failed to provide documents required from him in connection with the investigation,” the ICC said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from Warnaweera, the former curator of the Galle International Stadium. Sri Lankan players and umpires have been accused of match fixing in the past, but this is the first time a high ranking official has been implicated. On Monday the Sri Lanka cricket board suspended its fast bowling coach Anusha Samaranayake for two months and sacked a part-time employee, net bowler Gayan Vishwajith, for their alleged roles in trying to bribe players. Sports Minister Jayasekera told AFP last month that an unnamed man linked to a bookmaker had offered the two players some 10 million rupees (around $70,000) to lose the match. Steyn out of final Test South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the fourth and final Test against England starting in Centurion Friday. Steyn failed to recover from a shoulder injury which he suffered during the first Test. Opening batsman Stiaan van Zyl was released to play for his Cape Cobras franchise, making it virtually certain that specialist opener Stephen Cook would win his first Test cap Friday. Australia brings in novice swing duo for NZ series Australia played to the conditions Wednesday by selecting the novice swing bowling duo of Chadd Sayers and Jackson Bird in its squad for the two-match Test series in New Zealand. Bird, who played the last of his three Tests in England in 2013, and uncapped Sayers are part of a 14-man squad that will be aiming for a series win across the Tasman Sea next month to take them back to the top of the world Test rankings. Sayers claimed 145 wickets at an average of 24.82 in the Sheffield Shield this season and his ability to move the ball could be a key factor in matches in Wellington and Christchurch, which are expected to be played on grassy, seaming pitches. The duo replace Steve O’Keefe and Scott Boland in a pace attack that has some injury doubts ahead of the first Test in Wellington on Feb. 12, with James Pattinson (shin) and Peter Siddle (ankle) both carrying lingering ailments. There were no changes to the batting contingent which performed strongly against a feeble West Indies attack in the recent 2-0 home series win. That victory, coupled with South Africa’s home series loss to England, sets up Australia’s bid to become No.1 again. Squad: Steve Smith (captain) David Warner (vice-capt), Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Shaun Marsh and Chadd Sayers.