Match-fixing allegations against Perera "swept under the carpet": Ranatunga

Arjuna Ranatunga saddened by SLC’s attitude to match-fixing allegations

Former Sri Lankan World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga has accused the Sri Lankan Cricket Board of trying to cover for the match-fixing allegations against Thisara Perera during his stint with the Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Couple of weeks back, a Mumbai-based bookie, in his statement to the Mumbai Police, allegedly claimed that four players from Sunrisers Hyderabad, including Thisara Perera, were involved in match-fixing during the 6th edition of the IPL.

SLC rubbished the allegations stating that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had given a clean chit to their player and added that there were no evidences against the 24-year-old big-hitting allrounder’s involvement in match-fixing.

Speaking to BBC Sinhala Service, Ranatunga said: “Thisara Perera is a young and highly-talented player, and the entire episode saddens me. If a player is hit with such serious allegations, SLC does not need to use the BCCI to try and sweep it under the carpet.

“Today, the fans in Sri Lanka may still view Perera with suspicion, so sweeping it under the carpet without taking action against the people making those allegations and not thoroughly investigating, is a great injustice to the player who has to live with those allegations.”