Jayasuriya, De Silva involved in fixing: Tillakaratne

Former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne has alleged that Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya were involved in match-fixing, according to a report on a Sri Lankan website.

Former Sri Lanka captain Hashan Tillakaratne has alleged that Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya were involved in match-fixing, according to a report on a Sri Lankan website. Lanka News Web claims that Tillakaratne made the revelations about the two all-time Sri Lankan greats and former captains at a meeting with Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

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The report claimed that a popular Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, Ven Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, facilitated the meeting. De Silva has been named in match-fixing reports but has consistently denied any wrongdoing and was cleared by an inquiry. Jayasuriya has never been mentioned in match-fixing reports and denies any involvement.

Tillakaratne was a member of Sri Lanka’s only World Cup-winning team in 1996 along with Jayasuriya and De Silva. Earlier during a television interview, Tillakaratne had said that matches were fixed during his career and fixing was rampant in Lankan cricket since 1992. Tillakaratne, now a politician in Sri Lanka’s opposition, had said he would reveal the names of those involved in fixing matches at an appropriate time.

In the same interview, he had questioned several decisions of the Sri Lankan team management and captain during the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka, which was played in Mumbai.

“I am not saying that this match (the World Cup final) was fixed. But anyway match-fixing is something which has been in this country over a period of time. This has spread like a cancer today,” Tillakaratne had said during the television interview.

“Why were four players changed for this match? We were playing an entirely different side. Why was Mendis removed to put another spinner, Kapugedara was never among runs but he was chosen to replace Chamara Silva. It is not fair,” he said.