Aluthgamage submits evidence to support match-fixing claims

COLOMBO (News1st): Former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, on Wednesday, said he has submitted evidence to back his "match-fixing" claims involving the 2011 cricket world cup final. He made these remarks after providing evidence before the Special Investigation Unit that falls under the sports ministry, that is currently investigating the claims. "Across nine pages, I have mentioned 24 suspicious reasons as to why we had lost the tournament," Aluthgamage told reporters during a media briefing. However, sports minister Dullas Alahapperuma denied there is any evidence to show that the finals of the 2011 world cup final between India and Sri Lanka had been fixed. "I wish to honestly state that there is no evidence to show that match-fixing had taken place in 2011," Alahapperuma told reporters. He said he had informed the International Cricket Council in writing regarding this matter on October 30, 2011, a copy of which he said had been handed over to the investigators. Aluthgamage stated that the ICC in 2018 informed the then sports minister Harin Fernando, that Sri Lanka is the test-playing nation to receive a high number of match-fixing claims that are being investigated. "Alex Marshall who heads the Anti-Corruption Unit is the one who had made this complaint," the one-time sports minister noted.