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Cricket is back in the news. Barely a few weeks after the dust has settled on the controversy over the attempt to build an international cricket stadium at Homagama comes the allegation that the World Cup Cricket final between Sri Lanka and India in 2011 was ‘fixed’.

The allegation is not made by a random journalist who had stumbled upon this fact after years of meticulous investigation. Rather by the very individual who sat over the destiny of sports in Sri Lanka at the time- Minister of Sports Mahindananda Alutgamage.

On Thursday the former Minister had claimed that the final of the One Day International World Cup tournament – in which India defeated Sri Lanka with 10 balls to spare – had been ‘fixed’ by ‘certain groups’.

“The 2011 final was fixed. I state it with responsibility and I can come forward for a debate. I would not involve the cricketers in this. However, certain groups were definitely involved in fixing the game,” he told News 1st TV Channel.

“I stand by what I say. It took place when I was the Minister of Sports. I do not wish to expose details for the sake of the country. The game against India in 2011, a game we could have won, was fixed,” he said.

The reaction came swiftly and sharply.

Mahela Jayawardene, who had himself scored an unbeaten 103 for Sri Lanka in the final, called for evidence to back up the ex-minister’s allegation. He attributed the timing of the allegation to the Parliamentary Elections and called for names and evidence to be produced. Looks like the circus has begun, he said, referring to the election campaign in which the former Minister himself is a candidate for the Kandy District. For some unknown reason social media posts in support of Alutgamage have described him as the Kandurata Mandela.

Sri Lanka’s skipper at the 2011 World Cup Kumar Sangakkara himself came out strongly calling upon the former Sports Minister to provide evidence in support of his allegation. He said the politician must provide evidence to the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit because he has made very serious allegations.

“Then no one needs to speculate and can get to the bottom of this. That should be the most prudent course of action,” Sangakkara said.

The other statement in Alutgamage’s allegations where he says he is ready for a debate on the matter too is neither here nor there. This is not a matter for a debate but for serious allegations to be substantiated by hard facts. This he must do when the investigators question him.

The allegation by Alutgamage belatedly nine years after the event and at the start of an election campaign will most certainly be viewed with scepticism by most sports lovers particularly because he was in a position to take action as the Minister of Sports at that time. However since an allegation has been made an investigation is a must, particularly because it impacts on Sri Lanka’s image in the cricketing world and also because it can tarnish the name of cricketers who have not only served Sri Lanka well but also made the country proud to own such cricketers.

In this context Sports Minister Dulles Allahapperuma’s decision to call for an immediate investigation and for fortnightly reports of the investigation to be submitted is most welcome. The first to be questioned has to be Alutgamage himself. Hopefully the outcome will be known before the August 5 parliamentary elections.

However the former Sports Minister’s allegations are on the face of it questionable. He points the fingers at certain groups and not at the players. It is difficult to imagine how a match can be fixed without players’ involvement.

The two most senior players Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayewardene were at the peak of their careers and victory at the World Cup final would have added to the already crowded feathers in their caps. It is therefore very clear they could not have been party to anything unseemly.

From the point of view of cricketers, the allegations made by Alutgamage highlight the occupational hazards faced by modern cricketers. Before the advent of one day cricket, cricket fans spoke of the glorious uncertainties of cricket in relation to how the results of cricket matches finally turned out. One day cricket added to the thrill of the outcome of matches fluctuating.

However with that came the added peril to cricketers facing the charge that matches had been fixed or deliberately thrown away. In such an environment it is vital that any allegation however trivial or baseless is speedily investigated and matters put to rest in the larger interest of the game as well as the cricketers who literally sweat it out to put their best foot forward for the game and the country.  (javidyusuf@gmail.com)