CLAIM
News about former Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya’s death has been doing rounds on social media after a website, CBTV reported on 21 May that he had died in an accident while he on a visit to Canada.
The news report stated that a man who was knocked down by a Honda Civic vehicle and died after sustaining serious injuries has been identified as Jayasuriya.
Several people tweeted about the incident and even cricketer Ashwin Ravichandran questioned if the news was true.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The claims made by the website are false. Sanath Jayasuriya is not dead and has not visited Canada recently.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
After the news fueled rumors about his death, Jayasuriya, on 21 May, himself tweeted that the claims were false. Urging people to “disregard fake news by malicious websites,” he ended all speculation.
Cricktracker also reported that Jayasuriya has confirmed that the news was false.
“Since last night, there has been fake news of me being hurt in a car accident. The hoax has my family & friends deeply disturbed. Please ignore any such news,” he reportedly stated.
Several people took to Twitter to dispel the false news, as well.
Even actor Arshad Warsi had tweeted CBTV’s story, calling it “sad and shocking.” However, he was quickly intimated by Twitter users that the news was fake. After which, he retweeted Jayasuriya’s statement.
(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9910181818, or e-mail it to us at webqoof@thequint.com and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)