Sri Lankan match fixing probe runs into further delays

Sri Lanka's special anti corruption investigator, Desmond Fernando, admitted today that he is not in a position to submit his match fixing report by the end of this month.

According to Fernando, the report will now be handed over on July 10th. Fernando cited a "sore shoulder" as the reason for the latest delay.

The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) appointed Fernando on November 6th last year to look into the allegations made by Indian Bookmaker Mukesh Guptha that Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva accepted money to under perform in the 1994 tour of India.

Fernando was first asked to report back to the BCCSL after 30 days. This was then extended to three-months, as Fernando traveled to India and the UK to gather information.

Fernando's investigations were then hampered by delays to the planned interviews with Ranatunga and De Silva. The players finally met with Fernando and detectives of the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit in April.

Following the completion of those interviews the Interim Board Chairman, Vijaya Malalsekera, had expected the report to be ready in time for last weeks ICC Executive Meeting in London.