Anti-corruption unit launches investigation in Sri Lanka

The International Cricket Council's Anti-Corruption Unit has launched an investigation in Sri Lanka, world cricket's governing body has said. The ICC did not give any details as to what the nature of their investigation entailed, only that ACU officers had recently visited the country.

ICC confirms corruption unit probe into Sri Lanka Cricket https://t.co/5UAghXnBla pic.twitter.com/S6vsjGJWrm

— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) September 24, 2017

"There is currently an ICC (ACU) investigation underway in Sri Lanka," the ACU's General Manager Alex Marshall said in a statement on Sunday. "Naturally as part of this we are talking to a number of people. "We will not comment any further on an ongoing investigation."

ICC to investigate corruption allegations in Sri Lanka cricket after string of losseshttps://t.co/fVKSeyB8d0 pic.twitter.com/0Bfk5KF47n

— The Field (@thefield_in) September 24, 2017

Sri Lanka Cricket said on Friday that 40 players had asked the country's governing body to launch an investigation into allegations made in a television interview by former selector Pramodya Wickremasinghe that there had been suspicions over "unnatural match patterns" in the country. "The players have drawn exception to Wickremasinghe's serious allegations highlighting nine issues that unnatural and mysterious match patterns take place," SLC said in a statement on their website (www.srilankacricket.lk). "The cricketers, in a petition signed by all including both captains Dinesh Chandimal and Upul Tharanga to Sri Lanka Cricket, have ... refuted the allegations as totally baseless."

National cricketers refute Pramodya’s baseless allegations; request SLC for inquiry. READ: https://t.co/cAfl8l8i7p

— Sri Lanka Cricket (@OfficialSLC) September 22, 2017