 "Chris Gayle was part of the league along with some other international stars. Image: AFP")
A private cricket tournament called the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) has run into serious trouble in Srinagar, leaving players, umpires, and staff unpaid and confused. The event featured former West Indies star Chris Gayle and has reportedly stopped midway due to payment issues.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) coach Mel Juniper, who was an umpire in the league, opened up on the incident and said they were not allowed to leave the hotel because of the management’s failure to pay the bills. All the particpants of the IHPL were staying at Radisson Collection Hotel in Srinagar.
“The league hasn’t paid any bills. They haven’t paid players, umpires, staff or the hotel. They (League management) had told the hotel to hold the players within the building. The league management is nowhere to be seen and they are not even receiving our calls. We can’t play till our dues are cleared,” she told Economic Times.
IHPL management goes missing
The league management has gone missing after cancelling matches without any notice. Hotel authorities also confirmed the situation. A senior official from the Radisson Collection Hotel told ET, “The balance amount of IHPL management is huge. It is a huge financial loss to everyone. But we have nothing to do with the players. They closed the event suddenly with no prior information or clearance of bills. Many of them have left the hotel now.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, who were said to be connected with the league, has distanced itself after the controversy. JKSC secretary Nuzhat Gul has defended her presence in the opening match of the league and said that the tournament had nothing to do with the government.
“Officially, this league has nothing to do with the government or Sports Council. They had booked Bakhshi stadium for the matches and paid for that. I can get invites from anyone… that doesn’t prove any association or impact my credibility in any way,” Gul told ET.
The IHPL had began on October 25 and was slated to be concluded on November 8. The league had created a lot of excitement in the region because of some international players who were taking part, including the likes of Gayle, Thisara Perera, Jesse Ryder, and Praveen Kumar.