2011 Cricket World Cup Final – Arjuna: “I Would Someday Reveal The Truth”

By Amrit Muttukumaru –JULY 7, 2020

Amrit Muttukumaru

This writer is at his wits’ end to unravel the following:

1) Mahindananda Aluthgamage was the Sports Minister at the time of the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final. Why did he not pursue his allegation of ‘match-fixing’ giving victory to India at the time he was sports minister?

2) Why has he now after 9 long years raised this issue?

3) Police media spokesman SSP Jaliya Senaratne now informs that the Sport Ministry’s Special Investigation Division has “halted” its “investigations” as the allegations have been “deemed baseless”.

4) Arjuna Ranatunga – 1996 Cricket World Cup winning captain, then Minister of Petroleum and Renewable Resources is quoted in ‘Daily Mirror’ of 14 July 2017 as stating (i) “I was on the panel of commentators during this World Cup final, and I was really disappointed with Sri Lanka’s performance.” (ii) “I cannot reveal what happened on that day, but I would someday reveal the truth. So, I think we should hold an inquiry into this matter,”

5) If the allegations were “deemed baseless”, what was the rationale for the captain of the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final team – Kumar Sangakkara to have given a “statement for over a nine-hours”?  This is in the context of an ODI lasting only eight hours!

6) Kumar Sangakkara is one of the most knowledgeable persons on the subject of cricket. He is also a very articulate person. Should he not clarify what he was doing at the ‘Special Investigation’ for 9 hours?

7) If the allegations were “deemed baseless”,  what was the rationale for the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Cricket Selection Committee at that time – Aravinda de Silva to have given a  5-hour long statement?

8) AFP and NDTV  on 18 June 2020 quote Mahindananda Aluthgamage has having told ‘Sirasa TV’ (i) “I tell you today that we sold the 2011 World Cup finals,” (ii) “Even when I was sports minister I believed this.” (iii) “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,”

9) How can Aluthgamage allege ‘match-fixing’ if he maintains “I am not connecting players”? Could any ‘match-fixing’ occur without the complicity of players?

10) The same AFP and NDTV report while stating that Aluthgamage “is the second senior figure to allege the final was fixed, after 1996 World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga.” quotes Ranatunga as saying in July 2017 (i) “When we lost, I was distressed and I had a doubt,” (ii) “We must investigate what happened to Sri Lanka at the 2011 World Cup final.”

11) ‘Daily Mirror’ of 14 July 2017 quotes 1996 Cricket World Cup winning captain – Arjuna Ranatunga  then Minister of Petroleum and Renewable Resources as stating (i) “If Mr. Sangakkara wants an inquiry into the tour of Pakistan then they should have one. But I think we should also inquire what happened to the Sri Lanka Team during the 2011 World Cup final. I think this is something that the Sports Minister should look into rather than concentrating on fitness issues,” (ii) “I was on the panel of commentators during this World Cup final, and I was really disappointed with Sri Lanka’s performance.” (iii) “I cannot reveal what happened on that day, but I would someday reveal the truth. So, I think we should hold an inquiry into this matter,”

12) Does not Arjuna Ranatunga at least hint on player complicity by allegedly stating “I was on the panel of commentators during this World Cup final, and I was really disappointed with Sri Lanka’s performance,”?

13) Should not Arjuna Ranatunga  make good on his promise “I cannot reveal what happened on that day, but I would someday reveal the truth.” ?

14) Has not Aluthgamage given him an ‘opening’ to do so at least now? Will not Ranatunga forfeit any moral authority he has to seek votes at next month’s general election, if he fails to do so?

Read More