Sri Lanka seeks proof of captains' match-fixing claims

Former Sri Lanka captain Ranatunga has promised to reveal more details

The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has expressed concern over match-fixing allegations and called on two former captains to substantiate their claims.

Hashan Tillakaratne and Arjuna Ranatunga have said match fixing has been widespread in Sri Lankan cricket since 1992.

And the Board has also queried why the revelations are only being made now.

It said in a statement: "Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to express its concern about the match fixing allegations."

The Board called on Tillakaratne and Ranatunga "to substantiate their statements with concrete evidence".

It continued: "We also wish to state that we find it extremely strange that these so called 'revelations' are being made so many years after the alleged misdeeds.

"It is to be noted that there is a system in place, whereby any player or official who feels that there is suspicion of match fixing, he has to inform his Home Board and the ICC Anti Corruption Unit who would commence investigations into the matter immediately."

Meanwhile, Sri lanka's minister of sports met with the Sri Lanka Cricket Interim Committee and decided to request the inspector general of police to initiate a CID inquiry into the allegations made.

Tillekaratne made the original allegations on a television talkshow at the end of April, and has been supported by his 1996 World Cup winning captain Ranatunga.

Both Tillekaratne and Ranatunga have intimated that they will reveal more details of their allegations in the coming days.