Published 17:40 IST, February 5th 2021
BCCI's Anti-Corruption Unit set to end many T20 leagues over spot-fixing allegations
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Anti-Graft Unit wants to imply stricter measures on privately run T20 leagues in the country.
The immense popularity of the Indian Premier League has paved way for more such privately organized leagues in the country. Several states have come up with their own version of franchise-based T20 Leagues. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Saurashtra, Mumbai, and Jharkhand are a few of the notable associations to green-light such competitions. Speculations are rife that there might be a possibility of the players and owners participating in corruption-related practices. The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Anti-Corruption Unit is keen on implying stricter measures on such tournaments.
BCCI to end many private T20 leagues in the country
The BCCI Anti Corruption Unit chief, Ajit Singh, has approached the richest cricket board in an attempt to curb such unlawful practices in such leagues. According to News18, a senior BCCI official cited an example of a T20 League Mumbai team owner and revealed how he has bought two separate teams in two leagues. He highlighted that there is no information available on the owner's financial background and mentioned that buying two teams does not make any business sense as well.
Several noteworthy names from Mumbai cricket have participated in the Mumbai T20 League tournament. Suryakumar Yadav, Arjun Tendulkar, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni, and many more have featured in the Mumbai-based T20 competition. In the past, a team owner was also questioned by the Anti-Corruption Unit after a player reported a corrupt approach during the second season of the league.
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The Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI would be keen to put an end to such alleged corrupt practices in privately organized tournaments. Reportedly the board wants the state boards to take the onus of such competitions instead of private organizers. There have been instances where players have been arrested for spot-fixing in such tournaments in the past. Former IPL player CM Gautam and Abrar Qazi were sent behind bars for allegedly accepting money to spot-fix matches in the Karnataka Premier League.
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Apart from the two aforementioned players, charge sheets were filed against a total of 16 individuals after the Karnataka Premier League spot-fixing scandal. Despite the wide attention that the Indian Premier League garners, similar cases have been observed in the cash-rich league as well. It is fair to say it is tough to keep tabs on such privately organized competitions in different states, but having the involvement of state cricket associations could be a step taken in the correct direction.
IPL 2021 updates
Sourav Ganguly has on numerous occasions expressed his desire of bringing the tournament back to India, after the previous season was shifted to the UAE amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The IPL 2021 auction is slated to take place in Chennai on February 18. The 14th edition of the extravagant league could be played sometime in April.
Image source: PTI
Updated 17:40 IST, February 5th 2021