Scam rocks Indian cricket: Fake players bought, 17 registered at single address

Puducherry (The Uttam Hindu): While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) claims to be taking cricket to new heights in the country and nurturing talent at the grassroots level, a shocking fraud has been exposed right under the board's nose in Puducherry. An illegal network operates here, parallel to the Cricket Association of Puducherry (CAP), which, for money, is securing entry into teams by posing as "local" players using fake documents. This massive scam has been exposed in a detailed investigation by The Indian Express.

According to the investigation report, coaches at private cricket academies in Puducherry are operating as an organized gang. These coaches provide fake addresses and fake eligibility certificates to cricketers from other states to fulfill the BCCI's mandatory one-year residency requirement. A "package" is set for this entire process, costing around ₹1.2 lakh or more. The report, after reviewing over 2,000 registration forms and on-the-ground verification over the past three months, revealed that, for the sake of money, outsiders are being given places in teams by claiming to be local residents of Puducherry.

The most compelling evidence of this fraud was found in Moolakulam's Motinagar neighborhood, where 17 "local" cricketers from different teams were found registered under the same Aadhaar address. Surprisingly, when the landlord of that address was contacted, it was revealed that the tenants had been evicted months earlier for non-payment of rent. Despite this, the players continued to play freely, using the same address on their documents.

This illegal business is directly harming genuine players born in Puducherry, whose opportunities are being snatched away by outsiders. The situation is such that in the last four years, Puducherry has played 29 Ranji Trophy matches, but only four players born there have been given a chance. In the opening match of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy this season, nine out of 11 players were from other states, fielded only on paper as locals.