Aravinda de Silva requests ICC, BCCI and SLC to investigate 2011 World Cup final match-fixing claims

Sri Lankan legend Aravinda de Silva has hit back at the recent match-fixing claims made by his country’s former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. In an interview with local Sri Lankan TV channel ‘Sirasa’, the latter claimed that the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka was fixed. He alleged:

“Today I am telling you that we sold the 2011 World Cup, I said this when I was the sports minister.”

Aravinda de Silva has now requested the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to investigate the claims.

Addressing the allegations, the 54-year-old legend, who was the Chairman of Selectors of SLC, told Sri Lankan newspaper Sunday Times:

“We cannot let people get away all the time with lies. I request everyone, ICC, BCCI, and SLC to investigate this immediately.”

Aravinda de Silva further insisted that players like Sachin Tendulkar deserve the respect earned after the triumph. He said:

“Just like we cherished our World Cup victory, players like Sachin (Tendulkar) cherish these moments for the rest of their lives. I think in the interest of Sachin and the millions of cricket fans across India, it’s the duty of the Indian government and their cricket board to initiate an impartial inquiry to see whether they have won a fixed World Cup.”

We need to clear this controversy for the greater good of the game: Aravinda de Silva

Aravinda de Silva, who represented Sri Lanka in 93 Tests and 308 ODIs, added:

“When serious allegations like these are being made, it affects a lot of people. In this case not only us, the selectors, the players, and the team management but Indian cricketers who deservingly won the world title. We need to clear this once and for all for the greater good of the game we love.”

Besides Aravinda de Silva, former Sri Lanka players like Kumar Sangakkara, who was the captain in the 2011 World Cup final, and Mahela Jayawardene have also vehemently denied the match-fixing claims.

The 2011 World Cup final saw Sangakkara electing to bat after winning the toss. Jayawardene scored a brilliant century and India were asked to chase down a target of 275.

With the brilliance of No. 3 batsman Gautam Gambhir (97) and then-skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (91), India achieved the target with six wickets in hand to win the trophy for the second time after 1983.