The Sri Lanka Cricket board (SLC) on Wednesday announced the termination of the Dambulla Thunders franchise from the Lanka Premier League after "recent developments concerning the franchise’s ownership and the legal issues faced by Tamim Rahman, Founder of Imperial Sports Group."
Team owner Rahman was arrested and remanded in police custody till 31 May over match-fixing related charges. Rahman is a British citizen of Bangladesh origin.
SLC statement on Dambulla Thunders
"The Lanka Premier League (LPL) announces the termination of the Dambulla Thunders franchise, effective immediately.
"This decision follows recent developments concerning the franchise’s ownership and the legal issues faced by Tamim Rahman, Founder of Imperial Sports Group," SLC tweeted.
"While the specifics of the charges against Mr. Rahman remain unclear, the integrity and smooth functioning of the Lanka Premier League are of utmost importance.
"This termination aims to uphold the values and reputation of the LPL, ensuring that all participants adhere to the highest standards of conduct and sportsmanship.
"The LPL management is working diligently to address the consequences of this termination and to ensure minimal disruption to the upcoming season," the SLC statement further stated.
The Imperial Sports Group also owns the Galle Marvels franchise in the LPL.
Sri Lanka became the inaugural South Asian country to outlaw various offenses linked to match-fixing, subsequent to its parliament passing all three readings of the Prevention of Offenses Related to Sports bill in November 2019.
