Sri Lanka’s Aravinda De Silva questioned over match fixing

Sri Lanka police grilled Aravinda De Silva, the former national selection committee chairman after former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s alleged that the national cricket team’s loss to India in the 2011 World Cup final was fixed by certain parties.

It was reported that former Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga, who scored 2 off 20 balls before getting out by Zaheer Khan in the 2011 World Cup final at Wankhede, appeared before the Special Investigation Unit.

De Silva, who was the man of the match in Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup triumph, was the first to be interviewed by the newly formed anti-corruption unit (sports).

Superintendent Jagath Fonseka said, “Today we started the investigation into (2011 World Cup) match-fixing allegations.”

Aravinda De Silva, the then chairman of selectors, was questioned for over six hours by the police.

Earlier, Aluthgamage’s claims were rubbished by the 2011 world cup skipper Kumar Sangakkara and centurion Mahela Jayawardene.

Aluthgamage on June 18 made the allegation but later backtracked, saying it was just his suspicion.