Haryana rural cricket league says BCCI disrupting schedule

CHANDIGARH - Haryana-based Premier Cricket League (PCL), a group newly constituted to promote rural cricketing talent, Tuesday accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of threatening its players and disturbing the schedule of their matches.

“BCCI does not want anyone infringing on their monopoly and it is threatening our players of dire consequences. Due to this we have lost our 12 promising players and we forced to postpone our matches at the last moment,” I.D. Kamboj, chairman of PCL, told reporters here Tuesday.

“We selected our players from remotest corners of India. The selection process continued for nearly one-and-half months and selection camps were held at 15 venues across the country. Most of the players are from underprivileged families but they are extremely talented,” stated Kamboj.

Earlier, Twenty20 format PCL was scheduled to start from Tuesday but now it has been postponed to June. New tentative schedule is June 6-16.

There are six teams in PCL named Punjab Warriors, Haryana Bulls, Delhi Dragons, Kanpur Knights, Hyderabad Hawks and Chennai Champions.

Kamboj said the PCL has planned 18 matches at Panchkula, Kanpur and Hyderabad and the prize money will be Rs.10 million for the winners and Rs.5 million and Rs.2.5 million for the second and third team respectively.