Tillakaratne denies revealing names

Former Sri Lanka player Hashan Tillakaratne has denied that he had named ex-skippers Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya as being involved in match-fixing.

Squashing reports by a Lankan website that he had revealed the names of de Silva and Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne made a statement denying mentioning any names to President Mahinda Rajapaksa during a recent meeting.

"While my wife Apsari Tillakaratne and Rev Uduwe Dhammaloka also took part with me in a meeting which had been summoned by His Excellency the President to find out about the earlier statement I had made to this assembly, I would like to insist that there was no mention of any player or person at that meeting," Tillakaratne stated.

Tillakaratne, who is now an opposition UNP member in the Western Provincial Council, made this statement at a Council meeting, according to 'Daily Mirror'.

A Lankan website had reported that Tillakaratne had named de Silva and Jayasuriya as involved in match fixing when he met the president along with popular Buddhist monk Uduwe Dhammaloka.

Tillakaratne also said that he is co-operating with the Sri Lanka Police investigation and the ICC investigation into the allegations he had made about match fixing.

"The Criminal Investigation Department summoned me twice and I fully co-operated on both occasions. I would like to insist that I am the plaintiff and not the accused in this case," Tillakaratne said.

"My telephone numbers have been provided to the ICC to let them contact me at any time they want. Sri Lanka Cricket has also provided me with the telephone numbers of the relevant authorities for me to contact them," he added.

Tillakaratne was a member of Sri Lanka's only World Cup-winning team in 1996 along with Jayasuriya and de Silva.

In a television interview, Tillakaratne had said that matches were fixed during his career and fixing was rampant in Lankan cricket since 1992. He had said he would reveal the names of those involved in fixing matches at an appropriate time.

He had also questioned several decisions of Sri Lankan team management and captain during the recent ICC World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka, which was played in Mumbai on April 2.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Powered by Disqus

Raina denies alleged link with bookmaker

Indian captain Suresh Raina rubbished reports of link with a bookmaker after the news broke out on Indian television channels on Friday morning.
"There are so many people who get clicked with me," Raina said, "I can't really be knowing about them."
The issue cropped up after television channels claimed that the Indian captain was seen in company of people, who were involved with the betting mafia, during his visit to Shirdi after India won the 2011 ICC World Cup.
"All I can say is that I went with my manager to Shirdi and that's about it," he said.
Raina will lead a second-string India cricket team against the struggling West Indies when the two sides clash in a one-off Twenty20 match on Saturday.
Led by Suresh Raina, India are without seniors such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni among others, but they can still turn the tables on the West Indians whom they have never beaten in a Twenty20 match before.

Waqar denies Afridi rift

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has denied claims that he interfered with Shahid Afridi's work as captain.
Afridi has retired, temporarily at least, from international cricket after losing the one-day captaincy to Misbah-ul-Haq - a move he saw as a humiliation by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Reports have attributed that decision to a breakdown in relations between Waqar and Afridi.

The coach has said the first he heard of any rift was in the media and declared himself happy with Afridi's leadership.

He told the Associated Press of Pakistan: "As a coach I have my own domain and I know my job description and I never interfered in Afridi's job nor in selection affairs.

"Afridi was a good captain and I was satisfied with his captaincy. I have my own mindset and I always try to concentrate on my job and I will follow the same in future as well as long as I am the coach of the team."

The enigmatic all-rounder, who retired from Test cricket shortly after assuming the captaincy in that format last summer, was due to represent Hampshire in the Friends Life t20 but has had his No Objection Certificate withdrawn by the PCB as a result of the current row.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Powered by Disqus