IPL 2021: Anti-Corruption unit catches two people at Arun Jaitley Stadium suspected of pitch siding

The Indian Premier League might be suspended for the 2021 edition as of now, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India's Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) is still very active and following two cases it has lodged with Delhi Police regarding people of questionable characters being cited in the Feroz Shah Kotla at the Arun Jaitley Stadium during the Delhi leg of the tournament.

"One of my ACU officers caught a person and handed over the details to Delhi Police,” ACU chief Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala told PTI. “While that particular offender managed to flee leaving behind his two mobile phones, ACU lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police," he added.

Narrating the incidents Khandwawala said, "On two separate days, these people (suspected people working for bookmakers) managed to get access to Kotla.” The ACU chief then further detailed that one of the persons fled with his phone in the custody of the ACU. “The one who fled the scenes came in the garb of a cleaner. However, we have all his details as he was employed for the tournament. His Aadhar Card details have been handed over to Delhi Police," he said.

Explaining how the ACU officer caught the fake employee, who was most probably ‘pitch siding’, Khandwawala said, "He was standing (inside Feroz Shah Kotla premises) in a secluded area all by himself and so one of our officers approached and asked him: 'What are you doing here?' He said: "Main apne girlfriend se baat kar raha hoon" [I am talking to my girlfriend].

My officer then asked him to dial the number he was talking to and then asked him to hand over the phones. Just when he was going through the contents of his phone, the guy fled from the spot.”

Saying that the suspected individual might be supplying sensitive information to bookmakers, Khadwala added, “We needed to inform the Delhi Police. Delhi Police has responded positively and thus next instance two people were arrested."

Pitch siding is generally used to reveal important information about the pitch which is used by digital bookies for bets on toss decision and runs to be scored in first innings etc.

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