After accusing the Sri Lankan team of ‘selling’ the 2011 World Cup final to India, former sports minister Aluthgamage has now called his claim a “suspicion” that he wants to be investigated.
The Lankan government ordered an inquiry into the matter and a special Police investigation unit recorded Aluthgamage’s statement on Wednesday.
The allegations were mocked by former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. They demanded evidence from him, he told the team that he was only suspicious of fixing.
“I want my suspicion investigated,” Aluthgamage told reporters. “I gave to the Police, a copy of the complaint I lodged with the ICC on 30 October 2011 regarding the said allegation as then Sports Minister,” he said. “Today I am telling you that we sold the 2011 world cup, I said this when I was the sports minister,” He added.
Sangakkara, the captain of Sri Lanka at that time, asked him to produce evidence. “He needs to take his ‘evidence’ to the ICC and the Anti-corruption and Security Unit so the claims can be investigated thoroughly,” he tweeted.
“Is the elections around the corner…like the circus has started…names and evidence?” Jayawardene asked in a tweet.
Aluthgamage didn’t pick names for his allegations, but certainly, he believed certain parties were behind it.
De Silva who was the then chairman of selectors, claims he is willing to travel to India to take part in such an investigation despite the current COVID-19 threat.
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