New Delhi : Delhi’s wicketkeeper-batsman Anuj Rawat, who recently captained India U-19 in four-day matches in Sri Lanka, is under the scanner for playing an unsanctioned T20 league in Mauritius last year along with a host of Pakistani cricketers.
The tournament was held in June last year and Anuj played in it alongside some lesser-known first-class players like Asad Pathan.
Normally for playing in leagues in UK or Bangladesh, a cricketer needs NOC (No Objection Certificate) from BCCI to apply for visa.
However, for travelling to Mauritius, Indian nationals don’t need a visa if the intended stay is for not more than 60 days. The visa policy states: “You don’t need a visa to enter Mauritius. On arrival, your passport will be stamped allowing entry to the country for 60 days.”
The rule allowed the cricketers to bypass BCCI and play in the tournament, which featured a lot of questionable names. It is learnt that India’s U-19 World Cup hero Manjot Kalra had also sought permission from the BCCI to play this particular tournament, only to be rejected by the parent body. Anuj, who is currently playing a one day series against Sri Lanka colts, appeared to have not procured any NOC from the BCCI to play in the unsanctioned tournament.
Acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Chaudhary was shocked to know that some players have played in the unsanctioned tournament. “The age group players are educated by BCCI at the national level. This is very unfortunate if junior players have gone ahead and played unsanctioned tournament. This needs to be looked into seriously,” Choudhary said.