ICC to probe corruption in SL cricket ›
The ICC ACU works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are grounds to do so. ALEX MARSHALL, ICC official
NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed it has initiated investigations in Sri Lanka cricket. This comes after allegations of matchfixing by a former Sri Lanka cricketer Pramodaya Wickremesinghe. The ICC’S Anti-corruption Unit officers recently visited the country.
ICC’S General Manager (ACU), Alex Marshall, said: “The ICC Anti-corruption Unit works to uphold integrity in cricket and this includes conducting investigations where there are reasonable grounds to do so.
“There is currently an ICC (ACU) investigation underway in Sri Lanka. Naturally as part of this we are talking to a number of people. We will not comment any further on an ongoing investigation. If anyone has information that would assist the ACU in its enquiries, we would urge them to get in touch, “Marshall said.
Earlier, the Sri Lankan players called for an immediate inquiry into the match-fixing allegations made by Wickremesinghe.
HURTFUL STATEMENT “The cricketers in a petition signed by all including both captain Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have drawn attention to what they say was shockingly disparaging and hurtful statements by Wickremesinghe to a private television channel that tend to give the general public a suspicious impression about them,” a SLC release said.
Wickremesinghe, a member of the 1996 World Cup winning team and also a former selector, had said that certain members of the Sri Lankan team had fixed games for money.
The players, who signed the petition, have challenged Wickremesinghe to prove his allegations.
Sri Lanka’s World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga
CLARIFICATION
Later, Wickramasinghe claimed he never levelled any allegations against Sri Lankan players and only wanted a probe into “floating rumours” of corruption following the team’s string of poor performances.
He issued a statement, saying: “At no point I was making allegations against players, what I did was to bring out floating rumours and call for a proper inquiry.”