Former Sri Lanka Cricket President Thilanga Sumathipala on Sunday has taken the names of former Sri Lankan cricketers Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva among the names which were involved in match-fixing. 

“Arjuna and Aravinda were the names mentioned, they were alleged to have taken 15,000 dollars from someone named Gupta,” Sumathipala told reporters at the north-central town of Anuradhapura.

Both Ranatunga and Aravina de Silva were a part of the Sri Lankan squad who won the 1996 World Cup. Both of them having retired in the early 2000's and are still connected with Sri Lankan cricket in some form or the other. 

However, this recent controversy involving big names from the nation's cricket team has rocked the nation. Interestingly, Ranatunga had earlier accused Sumathipala’s family of having links with bookies. He said that SLC has gone down to a precipice because of corrupt management of the game under Sumathipala. 

Ranatunga’s brother Nishantha had filed a court case to stay the May 30 elections of SLC when Sumathipala seemed ready to be re-elected. Nishantha was one of two rivals of Sumathipala for the position of SLC boss.

The Minister of Sports has appointed a Competent Authority to run the SLC while elections are being delayed. 

(Inputs from Indian Express)