ACU on alert as IPL moves out
nMUMBAI: The Anti-corruption Unit (ACU) of the Indian cricket board said it is aware of “certain betting exchanges” in UAE where this year’s IPL will be held from September 19 to November 8. “We have to be careful,” said Ajit Singh, head of BCCI’S anticorruption unit (ACU). He said there are betting syndicates in UAE which have registered outlets abroad. “It becomes convenient for them (bookies). There are some (corruptors) who run their own exchanges there.”
Ravinder Dandiwal and Deepak Agarwal too allegedly have links in UAE. Dandiwal, an alleged match-fixing kingpin, was arrested for trying to pass off a league in Mohali as one in Sri Lanka.
Agarwal is serving a two-year ICC ban for ‘obstructing or delaying an investigation’ and was arrested for allegedly holding a dubious competition in Noida. Both are out on bail.
Singh’s team of eight will be handling IPL’S anti-corruption protocol along with one security liaison officer hired by BCCI for each team. “It’s because teams will be in a bubble throughout. So the SLO’S will be joining the bubble and doing the same job as TIO,” said Singh. The pandemic protocols mean the ACU’S focus will be on team hotels.
“Teams will be moving from hotel to match venues. Apart from that, they are not allowed to move anywhere else. Nobody is supposed to be meeting them,” said Singh. Matches at only three venues —Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi —will also eliminate the risks that round-the-country travel presents when IPL is held in India.
NO BCCI CURATORS
IPL chairman Brijesh Patel ruled out sending BCCI’S curators to UAE. “We are told they have good curators at all the three venues, so will not need to send anyone,” he said. In 2014, when a part of IPL was held in UAE, BCCI sent its curator PR Viswanathan as observer.
NET BOWLERS
Around 50 net bowlers are set to travel with the eight teams, according to a PTI report. CSK, KKR and DC confirmed they are preparing a roster of net bowlers. The list comprises mostly first-class, U-19 and U-23 state level cricketers. CSK and KKR are likely to take 10 bowlers each to UAE.