Inside the Kashmir League scam that left Chris Gayle and others high and dry

Srinagar: Billed as a major event to unearth new cricket talent from Kashmir, the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL) has turned out to be a scam as the organisers have fled, leaving several former international stars like Chris Gayle stranded in a hotel here due to non-payment of bills.

The IHPL, which began here amid huge fanfare in the last week of October, was organised by the Mohali-based Yuva Society.

Huge billboards featuring former cricketers like Gayle, Devon Smith, Jesse Ryder and Shakib-al-Hassan came up at several places across the city, announcing that these megastars will play alongside the local players in the league which was scheduled to end on November 8.

Most of the matches were played at Bakshi Stadium with music blaring from loudspeakers during the intervals.

However, the league ended abruptly on Saturday as the players refused to turn up for matches due to unpaid dues. The organisers did a vanishing act, forcing the hotel where the players were staying, to stop them from leaving till their dues were cleared.

The story came to the fore when Mellisa Juniper, an Englishwoman who was an umpire at the event, said they had not been paid.

"We have not received any payment," Juniper said, adding she was informed by the hotel staff about the "missing organisers". While police did visit the hotel, there was no official word whether any action has been initiated by the cops.

Gayle was among several players who had played in the Legends' League cricket tournament last year in Kashmir. The event, which was a private one just like the IHPL this year, had drawn huge crowds to the stadiums as locals got to see international players in action for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Parminder Singh, who is listed as chairman of the Yuva Society, might have been swayed by the success of the Legends' League to organise the IHPL in Kashmir.

They booked the Bakshi Stadium, owned by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, and paid the rent up front for hosting the matches.

Eight teams -- Srinagar Sultans, Jammu Lions, Ladakh Heroes, Pulwama Titans, Uri Panthers, Gulmarg Royals, Patnitop Warriors and Kishtwar Giants -- were formed to play the league. Each team had a former international player in its ranks.

However, the IHPL did not pull the crowds in despite the presence of Gayle and other international stars. The organisers offered huge discounts on tickets and used the services of a local social media influencer, Umar Zargar, in an attempt to boost ticket sales but in vain.

Questions are being asked as to how the organisers -- Yuva Society -- with no past experience in holding leagues of such magnitude was allowed to use Bakshi Stadium to host the matches.

Secretary of the Sports Council Nuzhat Gul said the organisers wanted to use the venue to host the matches and had paid the money.

"I have no association with the IHPL. I was present at the inaugural ceremony only as an invitee," she added.

The Yuva Society, while announcing the IHPL on its website, used photographs of former cricketers Surendra Khanna and Ashu Dani without mentioning roles, if any, the duo played in the organisation.