Hashan Tillakaratne has called for police protection ahead of him spilling the beans on alleged match-fixing.
Former Sri Lanka skipper wants police protection for naming match fixers
Former Sri Lanka cricket captain Hashan Tillakaratne has called for police protection ahead of him spilling the beans on alleged match-fixing.
Tillakaratne has been interviewed by the Criminal Investigations Department twice this week as part of the probe into match-fixing in cricket.
Currently serving as a politician, Tillakaratne says he has the names of top Sri Lankan players who have been involved in match fixing since 1992.
However, he insists he has been receiving death threats and wants to make sure both he and his family are protected before he tells all.
"As an eyewitness to match-fixing, I will reveal the names of those involved if my security is guaranteed," Tillakaratne told reporters.
Tillakaratne's wife Apsari has also said the family feared for their lives, and he insists he is not trying to gain any notoriety and simply wants to tell the truth to the International Cricket Council.
"I made the statements (about match-fixing) neither to get political mileage nor to put anyone in an awkward position," he said on Tuesday.
"I made the comments in good faith and I will share the information with the ICC. The exercise was meant to protect the game and the players we all love so much."
Tillakaratne played for 15 years and won 83 Test caps and played 200 one-dayers, and his allegations have been met with angry responses by many, including former skipper Kumar Sangakkara.
"It's interesting to see what he has to say and if he has anything more than allegations," said Sangakkara. "It's dangerous to throw names around."
