The ongoing Global T20 Canada might have its charm, given how the stars have managed to glitter the headlines from the outside, but it is safe to say not everything is greener in the nucleus of it.
Quite recently, Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal, a controversial figure himself, reported that he was approached for match fixing by former Pakistan batsman, Mansoor Akhtar. Representing Winnipeg Hawks, it was only a few days back that the batsman reported the incident to the tournament organizers as well as to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Anti-Corruption unit.
Akmal reported that Akhtar, who happens to be a part of the management team of Winnipeg Hawks, asked him to be a part of the fixing scandal for some of the games of the league. “Anti-corruption officials have swung into action after the reported incident,” the Geo TV report said.
In other news, a match between Toronto Nationals, led by Yuvraj Singh, and Montreal Tigers, led by George Bailey, was delayed by two hours after the players refused to reach the field over a dispute of unpaid wages.
"The game between Montreal Tigers & Toronto Nationals on Wednesday, was delayed due to procedural issues between the players, the GT20 league, and the franchise owners. All the stakeholders had a meeting and addressed the concerns," said a press release from the organisers.
The match between @MontrealTigers and @TorontoNational has been delayed due to technical reasons.
— GT20 Canada (@GT20Canada) August 7, 2019
The game will now start at 2:30PM local time.
It will be a 20-over-a-side match. #GT2019
"Global T20 Canada management is doing their best to popularise the game in North America and as a new entity in cricket, are bound to come across certain hurdles," the release added.
"On behalf of GT20 Canada, we sincerely thank all the stakeholders, players, and support staff for their constant support and confidence in us. We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to our sponsors, broadcasters, and millions of fans across the globe."
And the issue is certainly not limited to these two teams. As per other sources, other teams too have informed the league owners, Bombay Sports Limited, that they won’t step on the field for the playoff games if the outstanding wages aren’t cleared.
As for the game, between Toronto Nationals and Montreal Tigers, the former emerged victorious after successfully defending their target of 189/5, and thus, booking their place in the playoffs.
Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @GT20Canada
