ICC launches probe into pitch-fixing

“Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to state that it has zero tolerance towards corruption and will take immediate action against any person involved in the alleged incident, if found guilty,” the SLC said in a statement. “Sri Lanka Cricket is constantly engaged with the ICC and is following its guidelines on how to handle anti-corruption operations for the forthcoming tours in Sri Lanka,” it added. 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already launched an investigation, saying it took the allegations reported in the documentary “very seriously” and urged “all evidence and supporting material” to be shared with the investigators. 

“The ICC is aware of an investigation into corruption in cricket by a news organisation and as you would expect we will take the contents of the programme and any allegations it may make very seriously,” the ICC said in a statement. 

“We have made repeated requests that all evidence and supporting materials relating to corruption in cricket is released immediately to enable us to undertake a full and comprehensive investigation.” 

“We have already launched an investigation working with anti-corruption colleagues from member countries based on the limited information we have received,” the statement added. 

An advance report on the documentary, which will be broadcast on Sunday, said two Sri Lankans and a former Indian player were caught discussing how to rig England’s opening Test against Sri Lanka in November. 

The London-based DailyTelegraph said late Friday that the Al Jazeera footage seen by the newspaper featured Robin Morris, a former professional cricketer from Mumbai, Tharindu Mendis, a player from Colombo, and Tharanga Indika, an assistant manager at Galle International Stadium. 

The newspaper reported that the footage showed the men talking about doctoring pitches during a meeting with an undercover reporter. The men were reportedly discussing ways to prepare the pitch to ensure that the first Test at the Galle ground would not end in a draw and would yield a result in less than four days. Commenting on the report, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it is aware of the documentary and will also support the ICC.