Sri Lanka asks ICC to probe match-fixing claims

Sri Lanka s cricket board said Wednesday it had invited the sports world governing body to investigate match-fixing allegations stemming from Pakistan s July tour of the island nation.

The move comes weeks after opposition lawmaker Nalin Bandara claimed in parliament that the two-match Test series, drawn 1-1, had been fixed.

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The board asked International Cricket Council (ICC) anti-corruption chief Alex Marshall to visit Sri Lanka and investigate the accusation, which it said had caused "immense reputational damage."

Sri Lanka Cricket was committed to the game s integrity and believed an ICC probe was "the correct course of action to take in light of the recent allegations," a board statement said.

Corruption allegations and infighting have plagued Sri Lanka s national cricket team over the years.

Former sports minister Harin Fernando has said the ICC considered Sri Lanka one of the world s most corrupt nations under its purview.

One of his predecessors, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, told parliament last year that match-fixing was rife in Sri Lanka.

The series against Pakistan was played at Galle during the height of Sri Lanka s economic crisis this year, which saw months of political unrest, power cuts, and nationwide fuel shortages.