Minister orders probe into match-fixing

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage on Monday ordered a police inquiry into match-fixing allegations levelled by former international captain Hashan Tillakaratne.

Tillakaratne, who played 83 Tests and 200 one-dayers during a 15-year career, said last week that Sri Lankan players had been involved in match-fixing since 1992 adding that he was prepared to name some of them.

“I have asked the inspector-general of police to investigate these claims and give a report to me,” Mahindananda Aluthgamage told reporters after meeting cricket administrators Monday.

Tillakaratne, who skippered Sri Lanka between April 2003 and March 2004, stopped short of suggesting the 2011 World Cup final was rigged, although he expressed reservations about the team selection. Sri Lanka lost to India in last month’s final.

“Match fixing is something which has been in this country over a period of time.

This has spread like a cancer today,” Tillakaratne was quoted as saying by a newspaper on Friday. “There were threats of this issue being exposed at various times.

But it was pushed down by giving money to various people.

“If the people who were responsible for that are listening to this, I state this today with great responsibility, I will shortly reveal the names of those responsible,” he said.

AFP