Cricket legends and former Sri Lanka captains Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva jointly denied the statements made by former Sri Lanka Cricket president Thilanga Sumathipala that they were involved in match fixing.
Sumathipala had named Ranatunga and De Silva as two players who started match fixing from Sri Lanka and alleged that they had taken $15,000 from someone by the name of ‘Gupta’. The former SLC president had made these comments to reporters in Anuradhapura.
Replying to these allegations at a press conference held at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources Development yesterday, De Silva said, “I never bother about statements made by politicians. Even my friend (Arjuna Ranatunga) is a good politician but I never bother about what he says. But the accusation made against us by Thilanga Sumathipala was investigated by the ICC headed by Queens Counsel Desmond Fernando and the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Panel, Jeff Rees, and fellow investigator Alan Peacock and after the inquiry we were cleared from the allegation.
“I don’t know why Thilanga is talking about the inquiry which was concluded by ICC. I have been working for the selection committee of SLC and I even declined a salary because I like to contribute to Sri Lanka cricket’s development,” said de Silva.
Speaking further De Silva said that Thilanga had also invited him to contest for the vice presidency of SLC on several occasions.
“My question to him is why did he invite me to contest if I am a person who is involved in match fixing?”
Ranatunga said that Sumathipala was playing a dirty game to hide his corruptions. He questioned why Sumathipala went to Dambulla Stadium prior to the first ODI between Sri Lanka and South Africa to inspect the ground without any knowledge of it. “I can understand if someone like Sanga or Murali went to inspect it.”
“Aravinda and I have never played for money while representing the country. It is during Thilanga’s period as president for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka Cricket domestic cricket fixing has happened.
If bookies come to power ultimately fixing will happen. We should change the SLC constitution and the present system of voting otherwise our cricket will be simply destroyed,” said Ranatunga.
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