COLOMBO: Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga on Wednesday became the first player to be grilled by detectives in a probe investigating claims that the 2011 Cricket World Cup final was fixed.

The 35-year-old batsman was questioned for two hours by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) examining the conduct of the final, which Sri Lanka lost to India on April 2, 2011.

“They asked a few questions in connection with the ongoing investigation. I gave my statement,” Tharanga told reporters without giving further details.

Tharanga, who scored two runs off 20 deliveries in the match at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, was called in after investigators quizzed chief selector Aravinda de Silva for nearly six hours on Tuesday.

Police said they will next interview Kumar Sangakkara, the captain of the losing side and the current president of the Marylebone Cricket Club in London, who was asked to report to the SIU on Thursday.

There was no immediate comment from the 42-year-old, who last month said the allegations should be referred to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The Sri Lankan probe was launched after the then-sports minister claimed that Sri Lanka threw the April 2011 match.

“I feel I can talk about it now,” Mahindananda Aluthgamage told a local TV network last month. “I am not connecting players, but some sections were involved.”

Sri Lanka bat first and scored 274-6 off 50 overs. They appeared in a commanding position when Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar was out for 18.

But India turned the game around dramatically, thanks in part to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka, who were led by Sangakkara.

India won the final by six wickets.

Sangakkara and his deputy Mahela Jayawardena quit their positions in the team after the stunning defeat.

The toss of the final was also controversial as it was done twice. Match referee Jeff Crowe apparently did not hear ‘heads’ called by Sangakkara and asked Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to toss again.

Sangakkara won the toss and elected to bat, a decision that was criticised in local media because the Sri Lankans were considered to be better at chasing at the time.

Aravinda de Silva, also a former Sri Lanka captain, was the first to be interviewed by the newly established sports-related anti-corruption unit, its Superintendent Jagath Fonseka said.

“We started the investigation into 2011 World Cup match-fixing allegations,” Fonseka told reporters outside his unit’s office where the chief selector was questioned.

Fonseka said they were obtaining intelligence reports as well as inputs from unspecified international sources to continue their probe into one of cricket’s most explosive match-fixing controversies.

De Silva himself declined comment as he walked out of the SIU where at least three detectives quizzed him.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2020