Jayawardene ridicules claims that 2011 WC final was fixed

Source: PTI - Edited By: Harish Kotian

Last updated on: June 18, 2020 19:04 IST

IMAGE: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara during the toss in the final of the 2011 World Cup at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, on April 2, 2011. Photograph: Hamish Blair/Getty Images

Sri Lanka's former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage alleged that his country "sold" the 2011 World Cup final to India -- a claim ridiculed by former captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, who demanded evidence for him.

In an interview with local TV channel Sirasa, Aluthgamage said the final was fixed.

Set a target of 275, India outclassed Sri Lanka by six wickets, with Gautam Gambhir (97) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (91) scoring half-centuries to help the hosts win their second 50-overs World Cup title at the Wankhede stadium, on April 2, 2011.

"Today I am telling you that We sold the 2011 World Cup, I said this when I was the sports minister," Aluthgamage, who was the sports minister at the time, said.

"As a country I do not want to announce this. I can't exactly remember if it was 2011 or 2012. But we were to win that game," added the politician, who was the state minister of power in the current caretaker government which is in charge until the election to be held on August 5th.

"I am telling you with responsibility I felt that the match was fixed. I can debate this, I know people were concerned about this."

Sangakkara, who led Sri Lanka in the World Cup final, asked the minister to produce evidence and help ICC's anti-corruption unit probe the allegations.

"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.

Aluthgamage said that in his opinion no players were involved in fixing the result, "but certain parties were involved."

He had also previously hinted that the game had been fixed.

Both Aluthgamage and the then Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa were among the invitees at the final played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga had also called for a probe on alleged match-fixing in the 2011 World Cup final.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Source: PTI - Edited By: Harish Kotian© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.