Sri Lankan cricket legend and MCC President Kumar Sangakkara has on Thursday (July 23) has opened up about the police questioning into a match-fixing probe about the 2011 Cricket World Cup final between the Islanders and India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Earlier this July, Sangakkara was questioned for nearly 10 hours by detectives about the explosive allegations that the 2011 Cricket World Cup final was fixed under his captaincy in India.
A huge controversy had erupted in Sri Lanka last month after former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage claimed Lanka intentionally lost the final to India and following which Mahela Jayawardene, Sangakkara and then selector Aravinda de Silva were called by the police for interrogation.
This led to protests on the Sri Lankan streets, although Sangakkara said “making those statements was really really healthy for the game” referring to that investigation about spot-fixing claims.
Sangakkara said, “It is disappointing and also a bit amusing at times. And we had that recently when the ex-sports minister did quite a frivolous claim and we had to go in and answer questions.”
The former captain added, “Actually, to go through and answer those questions, and making those statements was really really healthy for the game, whether it was me, the selectors, Mahela or anyone else. I think that process is really important for people to understand what respect for the game means. The game of cricket needs people of integrity and people who are not afraid to speak their minds.”
He signed off by saying, “And also when you have any questions to be answered, you don’t need to hide, you can answer any of those. When it comes to politics, when you have politically and morally corrupt individuals, who are affiliated with the sport even in an official capacity, you understand where all this comes from and you don’t have to be afraid to second guess what their motivations are.”
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)
