Sri Lankan Board Chairman believes match fixing conclusions to be premature

Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga have not yet been cleared of the international matching rigging allegations levied against them in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report according to Chairman of the Interim Committee of the Sri Lankan cricket board.

Vijaya Malalsekera, speaking at the launch of the Coca Cola Cup in Sri Lanka that starts on Wednesday, claimed that reports that the players concerned have been cleared were 'premature.'

Malalsekera admitted that he had not had an opportunity to read the report that Desmond Fernando, the chief investigator, handed over to the board last week. Only when he had done so would he be in a position to make recommendations to the Interim Committee of the Sri Lankan board and then to the ICC's Anti Corruption Unit.

Fernando's report, extracts of which were printed in the Sunday Times, had looked to have cleared both De Silva and Ranatunga after bookmaker Mukesh Gupta refused to make himself available for cross examination. Fernando had concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support Gupta's allegations.

Fernando's report had been constricted to the allegations made by Gupta, but Malalsekera refused to comment on the possibility of launching a more far-reaching investigation into match fixing in Sri Lankan cricket.

He did though promise to make his final recommendations within three weeks. The findings and recommendations would then be communicated to Lord Condon's corruption busters in London before being released to the public because of "the potential international ramifications of the board's decisions."

Malalsekera also pledged that the Sri Lankan board would take full responsibility for national inquiries in match rigging, stating that, "The local board is the king as far as cricket is concerned. We have to satisfy ourselves over this issue."

As Malalsekera spoke speculation was rife as to the apparent presence of Indian bookers within the team hotel in Colombo. Six bookmakers have apparently checked into the Taj Sumudra during the past 24 hours.

Malalsekera admitted that the protection of the players was of the utmost importance but revealed that there would be no special security agents attached to the teams on this tour.