A controversy has erupted over a private cricket league in Indian-administered Kashmir after its organisers allegedly left the tournament mid-way, without paying the players, support staff and hotel bills.
The Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) – organised by the Yuva Society non-profit from neighbouring Punjab state – got off to a promising start, with international legends like Chris Gayle and Devon Smith participating in the opening matches, giving local players a rare opportunity to interact with global cricketing stars.
But the tournament was halted after just a few matches, allegedly leaving hotel owners and players scrambling for their dues.
The organisers allegedly left Kashmir in the middle of the night on 1 November after just 12 matches were played. The league, which began on 25 October, was scheduled to conclude on 8 November.
It is unclear why they left, but according to local players the matches didn’t get a great response and drew crowds far smaller than the 25,000 to 30,000 spectators that were anticipated to turn up. IHPL’s president Ashu Dani has not responded to the BBC’s questions.
Police say they’ve registered a case of cheating and breach of trust and launched an investigation into the incident.
Local cricketers told the BBC that during the first match where Gayle was playing, there were just 400-500 people in the crowd, with spectators not turning up even after organisers slashed ticket prices by a third.
The collapse of the league has left local cricketers angry and disappointed.
Parvez Rasool, a former international cricketer, described the incident as “unfortunate” and said it had “disheartened aspiring cricketers from Kashmir valley”. He attributed the situation to poor management and alleged that he had not been paid for the tournament.
Another local cricketer Abid Nabi – known for his fast bowling – told the BBC that the league would have been “the best opportunity for local players to share the dressing rooms with international cricketers and get some experience”.
“Unfortunately things weren’t organised properly, leaving the players high and dry,” said Mr Nabi.
For over two weeks, the organisers had been putting up billboards and posters to promote the event.
The league had eight teams from the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh regions and included a mix of local and international players.
The incident has raised serious questions about how such an event was allowed to take place without proper oversight.
An official from the Radisson Collection Hotel in Srinagar city where the organisers had stayed told the BBC on the condition of anonymity that he was “shocked” to see the CCTV footage which, he said, showed the organisers allegedly fleeing from the venue in the middle of the night.
He alleged that the hotel, which had received only a partial payment, had since tried to reach IHPL numerous times, but without success.
Mellissa Juniper, an umpire from England, said several players were left stranded in the hotel for some three hours after the organisers fled. Sources in the administration told the BBC that it was only after British embassy officials intervened that the hotel allegedly let them off – although the hotel’s management denied this.
“We came to an agreement with the hotel management to allow the players to return home with their families,” Ms Juniper said, alleging that around 40 local and overseas players who were in the hotel had still not been paid some 5m rupees ($56,430; £43,210).
Authorities in Kashmir have seemingly distanced themselves from the league.
Anshul Garg, the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu and Kashmir, told the BBC that the administration’s role was limited to granting permissions for the event and the venue.
“We will definitely look into the matter and see that such incidents are not repeated again,” Mr Garg said.
But the episode has shaken the hopes of local cricket lovers.
“You can’t invite stars like Chris Gayle and then vanish suddenly,” said Tahir Hussain, a resident of northern Kashmir, adding that this had broken the trust of players, fans and the local people.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: BBC
