Allegations of doctoring pitch conditions put Lanka in a fix
In a documentary titled 'Cricket's match-fixers', Sri Lankan ground officials have been accused of doctoring the pitch conditions in Galle to influence the outcome of the Tests. These allegations have put England's tour of Sri Lanka in doubt. England and Sri Lanka are supposed to play 5 ODIs, 1 T20I and 3 Tests in October this year. Here is more about this incident.
Undercover investigation exposes rot
In order to change the course of the Test against England, match-fixers were discussing the ploy to rig the pitch conditions at Galle. In an undercover investigation, a journalist posed as a businessman looked to place bets and filmed the episode secretly. The people in the video are seen talking about doctoring the pitch and get results in favor of Sri Lanka.
Ground staff were plotting to fix the third Test match
The documentary reveals that the match-fixers had altered pitches for two Tests earlier at Galle. The upcoming match against England would have been the third. The two matches were against Australia in 2016 and India in 2017. Australia were bowled out for 106 and 183 runs and lost the Test. India won the Galle Test after scoring an emphatic 600 runs.
Two Indians involved in Galle pitch allegations
There are two Indians involved in this incident; Robin Morris, who is a former professional cricketer from Mumbai and Dubai-based businessman Gaurav Rajkumar. Besides the duo, Galle stadium assistant manager, Tharanga Indika and a Lankan first-class cricketer Tharindu Mendis were also filmed during the sting operation. Reports claim that Indika was paid a sum of $37,000 in the past to doctor the pitch.
ICC promises to take matter seriously
The ICC has opened investigations and will be monitoring the incident closely. The ECB too is aware of the same and is keeping tabs on the matter. An ECB spokesperson stated that the board endorses ICC's position and supports the head body's investigations.
