Angry Sri Lanka Cricket deny World Cup match-fixing

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka’s cricket authorities on Tuesday angrily denied allegations of match-fixing made against two of their players in their World Cup defeat to Pakistan.

State television channel ITN speculated over whether Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera may have “changed the game” by getting out cheaply.

The station added a local businessman had placed an $18,000 bet on Sri Lanka losing the game.

Sri Lanka, who are one of the favourites to win the tournament, fell short of Pakistan’s total of 277-7 by 11 runs on Saturday, leaving thousands at a packed R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo devastated.

“It is with deep regret that we note that a leading television channel in a special programme, namely ‘Wimasuma’, has stated that Sri Lanka has lost against Pakistan due to two of our leading players not getting runs in that game,” Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement.

“Further, they added that the two players had failed intentionally, thereby implying that our players might have been involved in match-fixing,” said SLC.

“SLC strongly condemns the bona fides (sic) of this anchor who hosted the programme carrying a story that is baseless and thereby demoralising our players during the ongoing World Cup.”

“SLC will take up the matter with the relevant authorities of this channel, based on the fact that this channel has brought great distress to two of our cricketers who have served the country with honour and dignity,” it added.

Jayawardene contributed two runs and Samaraweera one to Sri Lanka’s total of 266-9.

Jayawardene was considering legal action against the station for implying he was guilty of corruption, the BBC said.

The player’s manager told AFP on Tuesday that they were not commenting because “a formal process has been initiated”.

Sri Lankan team manager Anura Tennekoon denied there would be any inquiry from the SLC or from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“Knowing both Mahela and Thilan, we feel there is no necessity to investigate the matter and, as far as the ICC is concerned, they have the right to investigate but so far they have not brought anything on this,” Tennekoon said.

“But we will discuss the matter with our lawyer as well.”

The controversy emerged on the same day that defending champions Australia dismissed as “laughable” claims that the ICC was investigating their match against Zimbabwe for slow batting.

“It’s quite a laughable story. It’s a joke,” said wicketkeeper and opener Brad Haddin.

Haddin and Shane Watson made sedate progress against Zimbabwe’s spinners early in their innings in the February 21 Group A game in Ahmedabad, reaching 5-0 from two overs and 28-0 off the first 11 overs.

The pair eventually added 61 in 18.4 overs as Australia made 262-6, with Haddin scoring 29 off 66 balls before falling lbw to Prosper Utseya.

“It’s not a case (of match-fixing), we just got off the mark a bit slowly,” said Haddin.

The Times of India website said the slow start in the first two overs was “scrutinised by the International Cricket Council anti-corruption and security unit”.