BCCI Goes Hammer And Tongs After DPL, TNPL, Other State Leagues In Massive Crackdown

The TNPL Trophy and Devajit Saikia [Source: TNPL and AFP]

The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit is preparing for a much wider crackdown on corruption across India’s state-run T20 leagues, with team owners, organisers, managers and players all coming under increased scrutiny.

The development comes after the anti-corruption body detected growing attempts by bookies and suspicious individuals to establish contact with people involved in these leagues. The Tamil Nadu Premier League, in particular, has already come under the ACSU’s watch following suspected corruption-related activities.

BCCI set to hard check all T20 leagues for corrupt practices

The BCCI is now looking beyond the IPL and major international or domestic fixtures when it comes to protecting the integrity of Indian cricket.

According to a report from The Indian Express, the ACSU has decided to closely monitor all T20 leagues conducted by state associations, marking a significant change from its previous approach.

“The ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) has found increasing instances of bookies and suspicious persons getting in touch with the players, team owners, managers, which is against the code of conduct and rules governing the game. It is the first time that ACSU is covering all matches at state leagues, unlike previously when only Test matches, IPL and other main games were covered thoroughly,” the sources said.

The move is particularly significant because state T20 leagues operate at a level below the IPL and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Several of the players involved are still trying to establish themselves in professional cricket, while some team owners and organisers do not have the same level of exposure to top-level cricket administration.

That has seemingly created a potential opening for corruption networks. The likes of Mumbai, Saurashtra, Bengal, Andhra, Karnataka, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Jharkhand have their own T20 competitions during the June-August period.

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With multiple leagues running simultaneously before the domestic season begins, the ACSU now wants to ensure that the lower levels of professional cricket do not become easier targets for bookies.

Sources claimed that “quick money” is often used as bait to lure players and team officials into compromising situations.

“Because of the level at which they operate, some of the owners, organisers and players are vulnerable and may fall for offers from bookies. Several of them are under ACSU’s watch for violations. Their activities are being closely monitored and whoever is found guilty shall not be spared,” sources said.

The issue, therefore, is no longer restricted to what happens on the field. The BCCI’s anti-corruption machinery is increasingly looking at the people surrounding players and teams as well.

What steps are the ACSU taking to check on the corruption?

The biggest change is the scale of monitoring. Instead of concentrating primarily on major international matches, the ACSU is now expected to maintain a presence across state T20 leagues and monitor potential violations throughout the tournaments.

One of the areas receiving particular attention is player interaction outside the ground. ACSU officials are tracking whom players and team officials meet in their hotels during these competitions. The objective is to identify unusual contacts and possible links with individuals who could have an interest in influencing matches or players.

The Player and Match Officials Area (PMOA) is another heavily protected zone. Players and officials are not permitted to carry undeclared mobile phones into such restricted areas because communication devices can potentially be used to contact people outside the authorised ecosystem.

The BCCI has already had rules in place for state leagues for several years. In 2018, strict guidelines were issued, including the mandatory presence of two ACSU officials for every tournament, anti-corruption awareness programmes and CCTV cameras at all entry and exit points of the PMOA.

The ACSU is now increasing surveillance and taking a closer look at suspicious behaviour, contacts and movements.

The development also brings the TNPL back into focus. Some teams in the competition reportedly came under the ACSU’s watch during the previous season after concerns emerged over possible corruption-related activities. The concern is that whatever vulnerabilities were identified in Tamil Nadu could potentially exist in other state leagues as well.

Interestingly, this is not the first time the TNPL has attracted the attention of anti-corruption investigators. In 2019, the ACSU conducted a probe into suspected bookies allegedly being in touch with players and coaches in the league. The findings of that investigation, however, were never made public.

TNPL mobile phone incident revealed by BCCI

The latest crackdown also gained urgency after an incident involving a Tamil Nadu all-rounder who made his Ranji Trophy debut last season. The player has been barred from participating in the remainder of the ongoing TNPL season after allegedly breaching anti-corruption protocols.

The ACSU reportedly recovered an undeclared mobile phone from the player while he was inside the Player and Match Officials Area.

The incident may appear minor on the surface, but it has highlighted precisely the type of breach the anti-corruption unit is attempting to eliminate from state-level cricket. More importantly, sources claimed that this was not an isolated incident.

The ACSU has reportedly caught at least half a dozen players across different state leagues using mobile phones inside restricted areas.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also played down the severity of the individual incident while making it clear that the governing body would not ignore such breaches.

“It was a minor incident which the BCCI’s ACSU took immediate note of and punished the player involved. Our anti-corruption unit is very active and alert, and they don’t want to let even small things be overlooked when it comes to the integrity of the game,” Saikia said.

TNCA president T J Srinivasaraj also confirmed that the state association is working closely with the ACSU throughout the TNPL.

“We are closely working with the ACSU team to ensure there is smooth coordination. There is a constant communication between the TNCA and ACSU to ensure the integrity of the game and the tournament isn’t compromised. That has always been our top priority,” he said.

With more players entering professional cricket through these competitions and more franchises, owners and organisers becoming involved, the BCCI appears determined to ensure that the growing commercial value of state leagues does not create a new weak point for corruption.

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