Published: Jan 30, 2024, 11:39 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 30, 2024, 11:39 AM (IST)
The Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) has initiated an inquiry into an incident where liquor bottles and beer cans were allegedly found in the kit bags of five of its players at Chandigarh airport. The SCA’s ethics committee will conduct a thorough examination of the incident, and the apex council will decide on disciplinary action if the players are found to have violated the code of conduct.
The alleged incident occurred after the SCA team, which had won a match against Chandigarh, handed their kit bags to the airline for transportation to Rajkot. Liquor bottles and beer cans, undeclared items, were reportedly discovered during luggage scanning at Chandigarh airport.
Himanshu Shah, SCA secretary, stated that the ethics committee would investigate the matter and report to the apex council. If the players are found to have breached any code of conduct, appropriate action will be taken against them.
Chandigarh Union Territory Cricket Association secretary Devinder Sharma explained that the Saurashtra team took a flight from Delhi while their kit bags were flown separately from Chandigarh airport. He emphasized that Chandigarh is not a dry state, and no criminal offense has been registered, but indiscipline of this nature cannot be tolerated by cricket associations.
The father of one player claimed that his son unknowingly transported the items as a favor to a senior cricketer from the SCA’s senior team, who requested the assistance. He suggested that the incident might be a conspiracy to replace his son and others in the team.
SCA secretary Himanshu Shah mentioned that the association would provide sufficient time for the players to record their statements. As there is no criminal offense against them, the players were allowed to participate in the next match, giving them time to address the situation.
