COLOMBO – Sri Lanka Cricket president Thilanga Sumathipala said Ranatunga,who captained the country to its 1996 World Cup victory, should havefollowed “the right protocol” instead of raising doubts.

Ranatunga, who is now Sri Lanka’s petroleum minister, said Wednesday thathe believed the 2011 final when India beat Sri Lanka was tainted though hedid not give details.

Sumathipala said Ranatunga’s own conduct when he failed to defend the WorldCup in 1999 could also be questioned.

“He (Ranatunga) could not come to the final round in 1999. We were out fromthe first round. We lost badly in some matches… and people were also sayingat that time ‘don’t know whether this man has thrown the match’,”Sumathipala said.

Sumathipala and Ranatunga are political arch-rivals. Ranatunga’s brotherNishantha is standing against Sumathipala for the board presidency and acourt on Wednesday suspended the vote.

Corruption allegations are regularly part of their fight.

Local media had raised suspicions of Sri Lankans throwing the 2011 final,but there was no formal call for an investigation until Ranatunga made anoutburst last year which he repeated on Wednesday.

Sumathipala said Ranatunga was suggesting that 2011 captain KumarSangakkara, who is affectionately known as Sanga, and his deputy MahelaJayawardene had thrown the match.

“Why is he (Ranatunga) trying to drag them into this seven years after thematch,” Sumathipala said. “We are implying that Sanga and Mahela havethrown the match.”

“It’s not fair. Sanga and Mahela have done so much for world cricket andthey are respectable people in the eyes of the public.”

Sri Lanka scored 274-6 and appeared in a commanding position when Indiansuperstar Sachin Tendulkar was caught for 18. But India turned the gamedramatically, thanks partly to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka.

Ranatunga also said in his latest outburst that corruption in Sri Lankancricket “goes right to the top”.

The country is again at the centre of allegations made in an Al-Jazeeradocumentary last weekend.

“I deny any involvement… Nobody in the executive committee or themanagement of this board is up to mischief or any malpractice,” Sumathipalasaid.

The board has suspended three employees implicated by the documentary,which alleged that a Sri Lankan player and groundsman were involved apitch-tampering plot.

In 2016, the International Cricket Council imposed a three-year ban on aSri Lankan official, Jayananda Warnaweera, for failing to cooperate with ananti-corruption investigation. – APP/AFP