Big names like Farvez Maharoof, the former Sri Lankan versatile, denied being involved, as claimed in the squad list posted on some online cricket sites.
“The center news here is Monaragala Hornets have won the toss and decided to hit first. The live-action is coming from Badulla Cricket Ground … ”
The comment on YouTube on the morning of June 29 was allegedly a Uva T20 league cricket match that was played in Badulla in Sri Lanka. Just no.
The game was played on a field in the village of Sawara, 16 km from Chandigarh, on the Punjab 12A state road. They weren’t playing Sri Lanka, just unknown Punjab cricketers, with masks over their faces and colorful and numbered jerseys.
The Uva cricket association told The Indian Express that it was not organizing such a tournament. Big names like Farvez Maharoof, the former Sri Lankan versatile, denied being involved, as claimed in the squad list posted on some online cricket sites.
The game in “Badulla” was covered live by FanCode, whose parent company Dream Sports has Dream 11 as one of its brands. Dream 11, a fantasy sports platform, is a sponsor of the Indian Premier League. Indian sports sites like Sportskeeda had a live scorecard.
Camera angles were basic, located near the two screens, and photos of the third man’s region were occasionally taken. The images were typically long shots; when they occasionally approached, he was frantic and jarring, and it was difficult to see faces clearly.
The commentator generally didn’t bother to identify the players, and said things like “someone should catch that, and I can see a guy crawl underneath.”
The Uva Province Cricket Association (UPCA) based in Badulla denied any participation in the T20 league. “I can assure you categorically that our association did not approve or hold such a tournament. We are investigating this matter and we are discussing with Sri Lanka Cricket and other relevant authorities, ”said UPCA Undersecretary Bhagiradhan.
A FanCode spokesperson said they were in contact with Sri Lanka Cricket and that they were assisting in the investigation.
“FanCode follows a strict process to pre-select and select potential league associations for live game streaming. Even with this event, we were in contact with the organizers who provided us with the Uva Province Cricket Association Sanction Letter along with an email from the official Sri Lankan Cricket ID who confirmed the tournament. After day 1 of the tournament, where we broadcast two matches, the SLC legal team contacted us and informed us that the matches were not approved by them and that the documents provided to us were likely falsified. As soon as we receive this information, we stop broadcasting these matches on our platform, “the spokesperson said.
When asked about the connection between FanCode and Dream 11, the spokesperson said: “Dream Sports, a sports technology company, is the parent company of FanCode. Dream 11, DreamX, DreamSetGo are the other brands in the Dream Sports portfolio. ”
A BCCI official said that streaming or broadcasting T20 leagues on websites or channels is vital to game organizers because it allows anyone sitting anywhere to watch and place bets, which in turn helps bookmakers win. money when they fix a game passage or even the result of a game in collusion with the players. “This is his known modusoperandi,” said the official.
The head of the BCCI Anti-Corruption Unit said that the police should investigate the organizers of the Uva T20 league. “As far as we know, no BCCI registered player has played on it. If it’s done to gamble, it’s up to the police to investigate. It is a criminal offense under the gambling laws. It could be anything, they could even be showing images of an old match. It’s about finding out where it happened, who organized it, what the purpose was … it is apparently gambling, “Ajit Singh told The Indian Express.
Late Thursday night, two people were arrested on charges related to cheating and gambling. Mohali Police Superintendent Kuldeep Singh Chahal confirmed the arrests.
The commentary on the match started with a fairly accurate description of the terrain. “It is grassy terrain and we can see everywhere grass. There is no chance of any fielder getting injured and fielders will enjoy it,” said the commentator, just after the launch in the first game between “Hornets” and “Wellawaya. Vipers. ”
There were pictures of paddy fields surrounding the playing field. Cloth flags of the alleged sponsor “Dialog”, a Sri Lankan telecommunications company, hung from barbed wire fences.
The founder of Sportskeeda, one of the sites that carried the reports and called it Sri Lanka’s “Uva League T20”, said they covered it because it was broadcast on FanCode. “It was broadcast on FanCode. We cover all events when they are broadcast on a large station, “said Porush Jain, founder of Sportskeeda.
The academy’s grounds are located 500 meters from the main road in the village of Sawara, amid lush fields, houses, and a factory. Bright lights have been placed on poles around the ground to host night games. In the first tournaments held in March, an Indian flag could be seen waving from the highest pole – the flag was missing from the June 29 match.
The land is owned and managed by people behind the Strokers Cricket Association, based in the village of Sawara. “I don’t know about any Uva T20 league. One of my friends took the reserve for the games on Monday,” Rinku Nehra, a Stroker’s official, told The Indian Express. “We do not know who came to the ground and other similar details. One day after the match, the police arrived and stopped more matches. We do not know who was organizing this match. We were not even allowed to enter. They had blocked the view with tents around the ground ”
People living in the neighborhood got some of the action. “From 20 to 30 players yes, Khedan’s match is somvar nu. System sound shop I saw laya si te sham nu kafi raula paiya si. Ek din bad police ayi te match rukwa te (20-30 players had come to play this Monday. Tents and sound systems were organized, and at night there was a lot of partying. On Tuesday, the police came and stopped the matches) “Said a resident in his 80s who declined to be identified.
The SSP Chahal said that the police were investigating: “We realized that they had the parties using the name of Sri Lanka, we will take the necessary measures after the investigation,” he said.
The two people arrested Thursday night have been identified as Raju and Pankaj. One case has been registered under Section 420 (cheating) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Gambling Law at the Kharar (Sadar) police station.
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