We sold 2011 World Cup final to India: former Sri Lankan minister

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former sports minister has alleged that his country ‘sold’ the 2011 World Cup final to India, reviving one of the cricket’s most explosive match-fixing controversies.

In an interview, Mahindananda Aluthgamage said, “I tell you today that we sold the 2011 World Cup finals,” adding, “Even when I was sports minister I believed this.”

The country’s sports minister claimed that the final was fixed. He further said that he did not want to disclose the plot at the time. “In 2011, we were to win. I feel I can talk about it now. I am not connecting players, but some sections were involved,” he alleged.

Mahindananda Aluthgamage is the second senior figure to allege the final was fixed, after 1996 World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga.

Ranatunga, who was at the stadium as a commentator, has previously called for an investigation into the defeat. “When we lost, I was distressed and I had a doubt. We must investigate what happened to Sri Lanka at the 2011 World Cup final,” he said in July 2017.

The captain of Sri Lanka at that time, Sangakkara, asked former sports minister to produce evidence for an anti-corruption probe. Mahela Jayawardene, who was the part of that game, ridiculed the charge.

Sri Lanka lost the match at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium by six wickets. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 274-6 off 50 overs. They appeared in a commanding position when Indian legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar was out for 18. However, the game changed dramatically, thanks partly to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka.