'Looks like circus has started': Jayawardene on reports of 2011 WC final being fixed
Jun 18, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 18 : Former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene on Thursday said that it seems like the circus has started as some reports emerged alleging that the 2011 World Cup final between Sri Lanka and India was fixed.
Former Sri Lanka Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage alleged that the 2011 World Cup between India and Sri Lanka was fixed.
"The 2011 Cricket World Cup final was fixed. I stand by what I say. It took place when I was the Minister of Sports. I state it with responsibility, however, I do not wish to expose the details for the sake of the country. The game was against India in 2011, a game which we could have won, was fixed. I would not involve the cricketers in this. However, certain groups were definitely involved in fixing the game," Aluthgamage told Sri Lankan news channel News 1st.
Responding to these allegations, Jayawardene tweeted: "Is the elections around the corner. Looks like the circus has started, names and evidence? #SLpolitics #ICC".
Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara also echoed Jayawardene's sentiments and said that the Sports Minister should provide evidence first before making such claims.
"He needs to take his "evidence" to the ICC and the Anti-corruption and Security Unit so the claims can be investigated thoroughly," Sangakkara tweeted.
India defeated Sri Lanka in the finals of the 2011 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium.
Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Mahela Jayawardene top-scored for Sri Lanka as he struck a century to take the team's score to 274/6.
India, in their chase, got off to a bad start as they lost Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag with just 31 runs on the board.
But Gambhir and Dhoni stitched together a match-winning 109-run partnership. Gambhir perished after scoring 97 runs. But Dhoni and Yuvraj took the team over the line.
India won its first World Cup in 1983 and then had to wait for 28 years to win again.
