Victorian Turf Cricket Association, Haig Fawkner and four players agree on settlement

The protracted court battle between the Victorian Turf Cricket Association, Haig Fawkner and four players is over with the warring parties agreeing to a deal.

The war is over.

The protracted legal battle between the Victorian Turf Cricket Association, Haig Fawkner and four players was settled last month.

It will see Haig Fawkner demoted to Division 1 for the 2023-24 season and the association end its threat of explosion.

The club will remain under a suspended sentence that could see it fined $5000 if a high-level report is made against the club in the next two seasons.

The players – Amit Chaudhary, Vaib Deshpande, Shakeel Ahmad and Khalid Hassan – were deregistered in July after taking legal action and can’t return to the competition for five years but are now free to play elsewhere this season.

Muhammad Naeem in action for Haig Fawkner. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Shakeel Ahmad in action for Haig Fawkner. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Chaudhary, Deshpande and Ahmad have now signed for VSDCA club Preston for the coming season.

Mohammed Naeem, who is accused of the alleged ball tampering that started the saga, has had his suspension lifted completely and would be free to return to the VTCA because he wasn’t involved in the court case.

The lengthy case has cost the parties as much as $150,000 combined.

The VTCA held its annual general meeting on July and proposed two votes to first expel Haig Fawkner and secondly deregister the players.

Clubs voted to remove the players from the competition but delayed a vote on the future of the club until after the court case was finalised.

Haig Fawkner captain Vaib Deshpande. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Amit Chaudhary in action for Haig Fawkner.

Through mediation, the association and club came to an agreement.

The four players returned to court last month with the judge directing the players to settle as the competition and club had already done.

The VTCA, having already deregistered them, lifted the suspensions originally handed down last year stemming from the ball tampering charges.

Chaudhary, Ahmad and Hassan were banned for the rest of the 2022-23 season and the entire 2023-24 season, while Deshpande, as captain, was suspended until mid-season 2023-24.

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An injunction saw the four allowed to play in Haig Fawkner’s semi-final loss to Deer Park last season and are now free to play in another competition.

With Haig Fawkner’s demotion, Westmeadows has received a stay of relegation and will remain in Senior Division this season.

The VTCA kicks off on Saturday, weather permitting, with First XI matches only before lower grades begin on October 14.

Haig Fawkner begins the Division 1 season when it hosts PEGS at Charles Mutton Reserve.