Former SLC boss alleges cropping up of Ranatunga, Aravinda names in match fixing complaint

Former Sri Lanka Cricket President Thilanga Sumathipala today made the allegation that 1996 World Cup winners Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva were the first players from the country to be named for alleged match fixing.

"Arjuna and Aravinda were the names mentioned, they were alleged to have taken 15,000 dollars from someone named Gupta," Sumathipala told reporters at the north central town of Anuradhapura.

He said his (SLC) administration at that time was blamed for not investigating the complaint of alleged match fixing by Ranatunga and de Silva.

Sumathipala was firing a salvo at Ranatunga in the duo's long running public slanging match.

Ranatunga, a current government minister, had earlier accused Sumathipala's family of having links with bookies. He said that SLC has gone down to a precipice because of corrupt management of the game under Sumathipala.

Ranatunga's brother Nishantha had filed court case to stay the May 30 elections of SLC when Sumathipala seemed ready to be re-elected. Nishantha was one of two rivals of Sumathipala for the position of SLC boss.

The Minister of Sports has appointed a Competent Authority to run the SLC while elections are being delayed.