LANKA LAUNCHES PROBE INTO ’11 WC FINAL GAME Dhoni conundrum ahead of six-week training camp

Colombo, June 19: Sri Lanka’s sports ministry on Saturday ordered an investigation into former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage’s allegation the national cricket team’s loss to India in the 2011 World Cup final was fixed by “certain parties”.

The sports minister Dullas Alahapperuma has ordered the investigation and asked for a report on its progress every two weeks, the ministry said in a statement.

The sports secretary, KADS Ruwanchandra, Alahapperuma’s directive, had complained to ministry’s investigation unit on Saturday.

Aluthgamage has alleged that his country “sold” the game to India, a claim that was ridiculed by former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene who demanded evidence from him.

In an interview with local TV channel Sirasa, Aluthgamage said the final was fixed. “Today I am telling you that we sold the 2011 world cup, I said this when I was the sports minister,” Aluthgamage said.

The captain of Sri Lanka at that time, Sangakkara, asked him to produce evidence for an anti-corruption probe. “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.

Jayawardene, also a former captain who scored a hundred in that game, ridiculed the charge.

“Is the elections around the corner...like the circus has started...names and evidence?” he asked in a tweet. — PTI on the

New Delhi, June 19: The BCCI will be organising a six-week camp for its top cricketers some time next month and speculation has started on whether former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will feature in it.

While the BCCI is waiting for a safe time and venue for the camp after third week of July. In case it's not possible, players will probably go in for their respective IPL camps later during the year.

The questions are arising on Dhoni because he has been dropped from the central contracts list but when the camp happens, a few players outside the pool will also be there.

Former chairman of selectors M. S. K. Prasad

M. S. Dhoni

said that if there is a T20 World Cup happening, then possibly Dhoni can be called but if its a case of playing bilaterals, then the selection committee might think differently.

“I don’t know whether T20 World Cup is happening or not. If it is happening and you are just looking at the camp as a precursor to the tournament, then MS should definitely be there. If it’s a case of bilaterals, then you already have K. L. Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson,” Prasad said.

Dhoni’s World Cup winning former teammate Ashish Nehra feels that if the wicketkeeper-batsman wants to play, he should be in every team.

“If I was a national selector, MS Dhoni will be in my team but the bigger question is that whether he wants to play or not. It's what Dhoni wants at the end of the day,” Nehra said.

As far as out of touch is concerned, Nehra said that playing IPL would be good enough match tuning if Dhoni wants to come back into the Indian team post that.

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PTI