Anti-corruption unit launches investigation in Sri Lanka
The International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit has launched an investigation in Sri Lanka, world cricket’s governing body has said.
The ICC did not give any details as to what the nature of their investigation entailed, only that ACU officers had recently visited the country.
”There is currently an ICC (ACU) investigation underway in Sri Lanka,“ the ACU’s General Manager Alex Marshall said in a statement on Sunday. ”Naturally as part of this we are talking to a number of people.
“We will not comment any further on an ongoing investigation.”
Sri Lanka Cricket said on Friday that 40 players had asked the country’s governing body to launch an investigation into allegations made in a television interview by former selector Pramodya Wickremasinghe that there had been suspicions over “unnatural match patterns” in the country.
“The players have drawn exception to Wickremasinghe’s serious allegations highlighting nine issues that unnatural and mysterious match patterns take place,” SLC said in a statement on their website (www.srilankacricket.lk).
“The cricketers, in a petition signed by all including both captains Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga to Sri Lanka Cricket, have … refuted the allegations as totally baseless.”
(Reuters)
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Looking at the pattern of recent events and losing games many questions can be raised. 40 cricketers are part and parcel of the present dire state of SL cricket starting from losing WC final match in Mumbai. It is good that the International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit has launched an investigation in Sri Lanka. Remember there want be any smoke without a fire!
They should investigate the corrupt motive the SLC kept out Ajantha Mendis The Sri Lanka Mystery Spinner from the world cup 2015 with the following credible evidence from CRIINFO
It is the Sri Lanka team that has suffered from the day Ajantha Mendis was thrown out of the squad in November 2014 the very next day he was named the best ODI bowler in the world for year 2014 by the elite ICC panel , this same panel selected him has the only Sri Lankan Cricketer to be in the eleven for the world ODI team for the year 2014. This was during the English tour of Sri Lanka in the 7 match series when Ajantha Mendis was the highest wicket taker of 9 wickets in 5 matches. After which he was left out of the ODI squad to New Zealand and left out of the world cup 2015 no reason given by the captain and selectors for such actions and also our so called independent media not a hum. We may see him sitting on the bench not been chosen for the playing eleven due to the captains decision of playing . S. Senanayake similar to what the captain did in the last Asia finals leaving out Ajantha Mendis after he had help eliminating mighty India in the semi finals of the Asia cup when before this Finals Ajantha Mendis had taken the most Number of Wickets 9 Malinga 6 S Senanayake 4 he dropped Ajantha Mendis, only Malinga took 5 wickets in the finals and non of the others a wicket the captain’s favorite bowler Senanayake No wickets.
Quoting From Cric Info ” Ajanta Mendis: Even as the Sri Lankan mystery spinner found himself out of favour many a times through the year, he ended up as the leading wicket taker of 2014 in ODIs. In 17 matches, he took 38 wickets at an average of 21.63, with a wicket every 22.5 balls economic rate 5.76. Apart from some steller batting performances, Ajantha Mendis’ fin form with the ball played a key role in Sri Lanka’s success in 2014, the 5-0 thrashing against India notwithstanding”
He also in the 2011 world cup with the limited opportunity he got performed better than Murali in getting wickets in the semi finals against New Zealand taking wickets and having in the whole tournament the least economy rate of 3.1 to Murali 4.1 but the selectors left him out in the finals and we lost the finals no reasons given by the selectors .Sanga the then captain resigned .
Who is going to in investigate the anti-corruption unit?
20/20 cricket from crickinfo re Ajantha Mendis
You get only 4 overs to spell your magic.. quick and conditional cause fast bowlers can’t bowl bouncers or too wide outside stumps. no overstepping the popping crease and field restricted!
No surprises, few bowler have taken more than a wicket an over in Twenty20 cricket.
Umar Gul of Pakistan held the record of best figures in T20 international matches but on 8 August 2011, Ajantha Mendis mesmerised Aussies at Pallekele, registering the first 6 wicket haul for 16 runs, and then repeated the feat against Zimbabweans but only this time, he gave away only 8 runs at Hanbantota on 18th Sept 2012 which now is the best figures. Other bowlers to take 5 wickets in T20 matches are Umar Gul of Pakistan, Tim Southee of New Zealand, Nehemiah Odhiambo of Kenya, Ryan McLaren of South Africa and Derren Sammy of West Indies.
Following list is restricted to bowlers who have taken 5 wickets or at least 4 wickets conceding single figure runs in an innings (irrespective of how many overs bowled). With fair amount of extra work, we’ve also list out the best bowling performances by bowlers of respective country..
In case we’ve missed some information, leave us questions at Itsonlycricket answers and we’ll try to solve your cricket query as soon as possible.
Best Bowling figures in Twenty20 (T20) cricket matches.
Bowler (Country) Wkts Ovs Runs Versus Venue Date
Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) 6 4.0 8 Zimbabwe Hambantota 18 Sep 2012
Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) 6 4.0 16 Australia Pallekele 8 Aug 2011
Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) 5 3.3 3 New Zealand Chittagong 31 Mar 2014
Umar Gul (Pakistan) 5 2.2 6 South Africa Ceturion 3 Mar 2013
Umar Gul (Pakistan) 5 3.0 6 New Zealand The Oval 13 Jun 2009
Elisas Sunny (Bangladesh) 5 4.0 13 Ireland Belfast 18 Jul 2012
Tim Southee (New Zealand) 5 4.0 18 Pakistan Auckland 26 Dec 2010
Ryan McLaren (South Africa) 5 3.5 19 West Indies North Sound 19 May 2010
Nehemiah Odhiambo (Kenya) 5 4.0 20 Scotland Nairobi 4 Feb 2010
Darren Sammy (West Indies) 5 3.5 26 Zimbabwe Port of Spain 28 Feb 2010
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) 5 4.0 31 England Pallekele 1 Oct 2012
Dale Steyn (South Africa) 4 3.0 9 West Indies P’Elizabeth 16 Dec
In support of the above please find attached the following copies of the following letters
01) Letter dated 09/09/2014 to the Sports Minister at that time Hon Aluthgamage marked A 1
02) Letter dated 16/01/2015 via email to the then Sport Minister Navin Dissanayake marked A 2
03) Letter dated 29/03/2015 to the President SLCB at that time marked A 3
04) Letter dated 13/11/2015 to the Hon Minister of Sports Jayasiri Jayasekera marked A 4
05) Letter dated 07/01/2016 to the Hon Minister Sumathipala President of the SLCB marked A 5
06) List of the matches Ajantha Mendis took 38 wickets playing in 15 matches Sri Lanka playing in 28 matches A 6
All these letters are in effect asking the same question why was Ajantha Mendis sent out of the Squad by the Captain Angelo Mathews and the Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya the very next day he was selected by the elite ICC panel to be the best ODI bowler in the world for the year 2014 and also to be the only Sri Lankan Cricketer to be in the world eleven for the year 2014 no Angelo Mathews, no Sanga,no Mahale no Malinga, no Herath. He was not given a place in the Squad to new Zealand and not in the Squad for the 2015 world cup and with a very good batting side our bowlers was not up to the mark we were knocked out at the preliminary rounds . It is hoped you could be able to give me a answer as I am of view our government is not even able to maintain the high standard of cricket that we are use too and also why none of our sport authorities can give a answer to the above question which discriminates against Adjantha Mendis a army captain for being selected as the best ODI bowler in the world for the year 2014 and being the only Sri Lankan Cricketer to be in the world eleven for the year 2014. It is hoped you will give me a answer by the 21st of July 2016 which may prevent a repetition of what happened in England recently seeing our bowlers being hit to all part of the grounds in the Aussies tour of Sri Lanka Thanking you .It is hoped that the anti corruption unit will be able to find out the reasons that Ajantha Mendis was so shabbily treated and rectify it
Great to hear Matthews and Lasith Malinga have been dropped for the Pakistan ODI’s.
Hope they are dropped for good form both, test and ODI teams.