Players demand Pramodya probe

A petition has been handed over to Sri Lanka Cricket calling for an immediate inquiry into what they say are “totally baseless” allegations by Pramodya Wickremasinghe on a recent TV sports show, SLC said in a media release yesterday.

“The players have drawn exception to Wickremasinghe’s ‘serious’ allegations highlighting nine issues that unnatural and mysterious match patterns take place,” stated the release.

“They have refuted the allegations as totally baseless and stressed that they perform under the national flag for their motherland sacrificing even their time with their families with a 200 per cent commitment with nothing short of achieving the ultimate goal of victory.”

Wickremasinghe made the comments in question on Hiru TV’s Sports Corner program. Among the more salacious accusations were his claims that an outsider had been privy to dressing room conversations prior to a match against Zimbabwe, while he also queried as to why Malinga had not been bowled out in the rain-affected 4th ODI, which Zimbabwe won to tie the series.The petition which is being backed by 40 contracted players, including Test Captain Dinesh Chandimal and ODI & T20 Captain Upul Tharanga, labelled Wickramasinghe’s comments “diabolic” and “hurtful” and challenged the former national cricketer to “prove his allegations”.“While expressing profound shock and displeasure at a former national cricketer and selector making such serious allegations, the players have totally rejected them and urged Sri Lanka Cricket to initiate an immediate inquiry by summoning Wickremasinghe in fairness to their good names that have been slandered by such diabolic allegations. They have further challenged Wickremasinghe to prove his allegations,” the release concluded.