LUCKNOW, Feb. 10 -- The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association has issued strict guidelines, including compliance and mandatory disclosures for holding district premier leagues in the state in the future. UPCA issued its guidelines to all district units this month, saying that it had received inputs and concerns relating to the conduct of these tournaments. "To bring uniformity, transparency and strong governance standards across all districts, and to ensure that district-level leagues are conducted strictly in the best interests of cricket and its participants, UPCA has formulated and approved Guidelines for Conduct of District Cricket Leagues in Uttar Pradesh," UPCA secretary Prem Manohar Gupta's letter states. The guidelines cover disclosure of organising entity and committee, team ownership and conflict-of-interest safeguards, regulation of trials, fees and selection processes, participation of non-home district players, player payments and remuneration structure, broadcast/streaming and media rights, financial model and budget disclosure, parent and player grievance redressal mechanism, reporting, compliance and disciplinary provisions. "There were reports about so many wrongdoings in a few district leagues and it's an attempt of UPCA to keep things crystal clear as we don't want any disrepute, including match-fixing or exploitation of cricketers, in any manner," he added. "We came to know that players were charged hefty fees for trials in the leagues in Ayodhya, Muzaffarnagar, Lucknow and even Amethi," Gupta said. The UPCA guidelines say that the district cricket association must specify whether the league is being organised directly by it or through a sports/event management company to ensure accountability. "When organised through a sports/event management company, comprehensive details are required including the legal name of the company, CIN/LLP/proprietorship details, registered office address, names of directors/partners/proprietor, scope of work entrusted, and a copy of the agreement/MoU with the DCA." The rules says necessary clearances must be obtained 30 days in advance. "A non-home district player is defined as one not registered with the organising district association. Maximum two (2) non-home district players per team will be permitted and this limitation maintains district representation while allowing limited external participation. "Participation of any non-home district player will be allowed only with prior written approval of UPCA obtained through proper channels and any violation shall be treated as unauthorized participation and may attract disqualification of teams or withdrawal of league approval entirely," the guidelines say. Gupta said UPCA may consider allowing players on a zonal basis as smaller districts won't have enough local cricketers for the event. "We know that smaller districts don't have sufficient numbers of local players so we can allow the zonal players to participate in future."...