Sri Lankan groundsman Jayananda Warnaweera has been suspended for three years by the International Cricket Council, for failing to cooperate with its anti-corruption unit, reports Stuff.co.nz

The ICC said Warnaweera failed, on two separate occasions, to attend scheduled interviews with the ACU in relation to an ongoing investigation and failed to provide documents required from him in connection with the investigation.

He also failed to respond to the charge of failing to cooperate, and so was deemed to have committed an offence, waived his right to a hearing, and acceded to the imposition of a sanction, in this case the three-year suspension.

Warnaweera was the curator at Galle International Stadium, a ground which has hosted 27 tests, most recently in October last year between Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

He was asked to step back from his role as curator prior to that test, after missing an interview with the ACU, and was later suspended for two years by the Sri Lankan Cricket board.

Sir Ronnie Flanagan, chairman of the ACU, said the ICC takes no pleasure in imposing a suspension.

"This decision clearly illustrates what the code means to the ICC and how seriously we take matters that relate to corruption.

"It should also act as a reminder to participants of the need to comply with their obligations under the code. The ICC has a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and it will not hesitate in taking such decisions in its endeavour to eliminate this menace from the sport."

Warnaweera played 10 tests and six one-day Internationals for Sri Lanka from 1986 to 1994.