Sumathipala recalls fixing complaints against Ranatunga, Aravinda

The former Sri Lanka Cricket president alleged that the 1996 World Cup winners were the first players from the island to trigger fixing concerns.

Sumathipala said his administration at that time was blamed for not investigating the complaint of alleged match-fixing by Ranatunga and de Silva.

Former Sri Lanka Cricket President Thilanga Sumathipala made the allegation that 1996 World Cup winners Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva were the first players from the country to be named for alleged match-fixing.

“Arjuna and Aravinda were the names mentioned, they were alleged to have taken 15,000 dollars from someone named Gupta,” Sumathipala told reporters at the north central town of Anuradhapura on Monday.

He said his SLC administration at that time was blamed for not investigating the complaint of alleged fixing by Ranatunga and de Silva.

Sumathipala was firing a salvo at Ranatunga in the duo’s long running public slanging match.

Ranatunga, a current government minister, had earlier accused Sumathipala’s family of having links with bookies. He said that SLC has gone down to a precipice because of corrupt management of the game under Sumathipala.

Ranatunga’s brother Nishantha had filed court case to stay the May 30 elections of SLC when Sumathipala seemed ready to be re-elected. Nishantha was one of the two rivals of Sumathipala for the position of SLC boss.

The Minister of Sports has appointed a Competent Authority to run the SLC while elections are being delayed.