Leicestershire’s head groundsman cited that filming took place four days before the fixture.
Leicestershire County Cricket Club has been pushed to the brink of relegation after the Cricket Discipline Panel dismissed their unusual Bollywood defence, upholding a massive 27-point penalty for preparing a substandard surface at Grace Road.
During the hearing, Leicestershire’s head groundsman, Callum Lewin, argued that pitch preparation for their August 20-23 match against Glamorgan was heavily disrupted by an unscheduled, late-booked film shoot. The crew was filming Dada, an upcoming Bollywood biopic about former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly starring Rajkummar Rao.
Lewin cited that filming took place four days before the fixture and the ground staff were not allowed to cover or work on the pitch. He also highlighted that with temperatures reaching 35°C, moisture levels dropped severely, which led to wide, moving cracks and highly unpredictable bounce.
Match referee Ian Ramage ultimately logged 43 instances of uneven bounce during the low-scoring contest.
"It's a used pitch this time around. We had two T20s on it 10 weeks ago. There were a lot of circumstances leading up to the game that were just out of my control, such as the weather being 35 degrees.
"We also had an unscheduled Bollywood filming event four days before (the match against Glamorgan), and I wasn't allowed to work on the pitch. I wasn't allowed to cover it or anything," Lewin told the Cricket Regulator.
However, the Cricket Regulator and the independent disciplinary panel rejected the film shoot as a valid mitigating factor, pointing out that the filming only occupied a single day. The panel stated that proper risk management should have anticipated the need to protect the surface, concluding that the club’s approach to pitch preparation was "unreasonable".
The panel docked 19 points that the Foxes earned from their 42-run win over Glamorgan and deducted an additional eight-point. Furthermore, the panel imposed a 5,000-pound fine on the club.
Leicestershire said it is studying the verdict. "The Club notes the Cricket Discipline Panel's decision, which imposes an eight-point deduction, an additional eight-point deduction suspended until the end of the 2027 season, and a financial penalty of 5,000 pounds.
"Having received the Panel's decision, the Club is reviewing its position and considering all available options," the club said in a statement.
Because of this sanction, Leicestershire must win their ongoing Division One match against Hampshire to avoid immediate relegation. If they draw or lose, their relegation to Division Two is officially confirmed.
(With PTI Inputs)