Former Sports Minister of Sri Lanka Mahindananda Aluthgamage has alleged that his country "sold" the 2011 World Cup final to India.
"Today I am telling you that we sold the 2011 World Cup," Aluthgamage said in an interview with local TV channel 'Sirasa'.
Aluthgamage, Sports Minister between 2010 and 2015 and now State Minister for Renewable Energy and Power, said he "did not want to disclose" the plot at the time. "In 2011, we were to win, but we sold the match. I feel I can talk about it now. I am not connecting players, but some sections were involved," he said.
In the final, Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274-6 off 50 overs. They appeared to be in a commanding position when Sachin Tendulkar was dismissed for 18 runs. But at the end, India claimed the trophy. Thanks to the brilliance of Gautam Gambhir (97) and MS Dhoni (91)
Aluthgamage's assertion was met with ridicule from former captain Jayawardene, who scored a century in that game. "Is the elections around the corner....like the circus has started....names and evidence?" he asked in a tweet.
Former World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga has also called for a probe on alleged match-fixing in the 2011 World Cup final.
Is the elections around the corner 🤔Looks like the circus has started 🤡 names and evidence? #SLpolitics #ICC https://t.co/bA4FxdqXhu
— Mahela Jayawardena (@MahelaJay) June 18, 2020
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