Sri Lankan Board President demands copy of CBI report

President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), Thilanga Sumithapala, wrote last night to the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Dr Mutiah, to request a draft of the CBI report, which allegedly contains the names of two Sri Lankan players: Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda De Silva. The letter was released to the media after an Emergency Meeting of the Executive Committee. The letter stated:

"The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka is quite perturbed by an Associated Press of India news release which states that "a 162 page report of a premier law enforcement agency" has reported that the names of cricketers, including two Sri Lankan cricketers' names, have transpired in the course of their investigations, however, without indicating which of them turned down or accepted any offers.

The BCCSL requires to know urgently the allegations and /or findings relating to the two cricketers whose names are said to have been monitored in the report, namel - Mr Aravinda De Silva and Mr Arjuna Ranatunga.

The BCCSL requires to obtain immediately, a copy of the 162 page report and relevant authenticated transcripts of evidence on which any findings have been made.

The two cricketers are highly respected and loved by the Sri Lanka public and the BCCSL is quite concerned to have this matter expeditiously and correctly examined. I would therefore be most grateful if you could forward of the said report and the relevant transcripts of evidence as matter of priority."

Arjuna Ranatunga also released a statement for the media yesterday, which strongly denied that he had ever been approached by a bookmaker: "The reference to me in the Indian newspaper articles is entirely false. I have had no dealings what so ever with any bookmaker for been offered or accepted any bribe from any bookmaker or any other person at any time. Had any offer of a bribe been made to me at anytime I would have promptly reported the matter to the appropriate authorities."