By Admin 
Indian Heaven Premiere League, Kashmir: The Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL), a T20 cricket tournament being played in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, in which local, national and international players were participating, is in trouble. Some players are stranded in a local hotel and are reported to have fled the Valley after the organizers allegedly failed to pay the hotel bills, while many other players from the eight participating teams are also counting their losses.
The high-profile cricket event, organized by a private sponsor, ran into trouble when several players boycotted the matches allegedly due to non-payment of dues, leading to chaos in the event. The league was being played at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, which is meant for football and government events, and ever since it started on October 25, huge crowds were gathering to cheer their favorite players.
Chris Gayle and Praveen Kumar also included in the league
Eight teams took part in the Heaven Premier League, which also included former West Indies star Chris Gayle and former Indian fast bowler Praveen Kumar. The league had released a list of 32 former international players including Martin Guptill, Moeen Ali and Shakib-al-Hasan, but only Chris Gayle and Praveen Kumar reached the valley. The remaining players in the league included former Ranji players and local talent.
Reports today state that players who were due to play claimed they were asked “not to come to the stadium” due to “technical difficulties”, leading to the matches being cancelled. Earlier, a cricketer from the valley had announced that he would not participate in the ongoing league, citing irregularities, lack of clarity on contracts and payments. Meanwhile, the matches to be held at Bakshi Stadium on Saturday, November 1 and Sunday, November 2 were also canceled after the players refused to enter the field.
Truth hidden from players
Officials of Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, which is a government body, said that the council has nothing to do with the league as it is a private event. Sports Council officials said that they had only provided the ground, for which charges were taken as per the rules of the council.
A player, whose match was to be held today, said that he was asked not to report on the field due to technical difficulties. The player said, ‘My match was to be held today, and when I called my manager to ask about it, he told me not to come to the stadium because there are some technical problems’.
Many international players have already left Srinagar, while many cricketers, mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, are staying in a local hotel. The players were accommodated in more than 100 rooms at the Radisson Collection in a posh area on the banks of the Jhelum river in the Rajbagh area of Srinagar.
A management official said, ‘The organizers had booked the hotel rooms till November 9, but they did not pay the money and left without paying more than Rs 80 lakh and have allegedly absconded. We locked the rooms this morning, but allowed the players to leave.
People involved in catering, bus drivers and others claim that they too have not been paid. He said that he too is confused and is afraid that he will not get his money. Melissa Juniper, who was umpiring the matches, told reporters that the organizers ran away late last night and their phones were switched off. He said, “The bills for the hotel, players, umpires and everyone else have not been paid. The league management is nowhere to be seen, their phones are switched off. We have made an agreement with the hotel management so that the players can be allowed to go home with their families. There are about 40 players in the hotel, they have not been paid and it is not right for them to be away from their families.”
Among these players, 32 former international players also include Chris Gayle, who played three matches and left a few days ago, while former Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera played one match and left Srinagar. Apart from these, South African players Richard Levi, Shoaib Muhammad and Oman’s Ayaan Khan also played in the matches. This league was promoted and popularized by a well-known cricketer of Jammu and Kashmir. IHPL has not received recognition from BCCI or Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA).
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