JAMMU, July 22:
Slamming the Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, former Ranji Trophy cricketers of Jammu and Kashmir today batted for implementation of Lodha recommendations in the state in the interest and welfare of the cricketers.
The cricketers sought implementation of Lodha recommendations at the earliest in Jammu and Kashmir to give fillip to the cricket vis-a-vis benefiting them, who are facing hardships in the hands of current body due to non-implementation of the Lodha recommendations.
“The Lodha recommendations speak for the strengthening of the cricketers at all levels including the former cricketers but the current JKCA is more interested in seeking personal gains for a few individuals which is totally in contravention to the norms set by Lodha,” the former players said in a handout issued here.
Alleging that the CoA has been a failure in offering transparency, fair treatment to cricketing fraternity and in upholding the prospect of the local former cricketers, the players said, “as per Lodha norms, Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) must be framed comprising former cricketers, to bring in transparency in the working of the JKCA and incorporating professional cricketers from the State.”
“It is suspected that the outsiders are getting handsomely paid while as the local selectors and coaches have always been exploited without justified remunerations and any formal contracts,” said the Cricketers and rued hiring of outsiders including coaches, selectors or players like Indian Cricketer Irfan Pathan.
Pertinently Irfan Pathan played as a mentor cum player from the JKCA side in 2018-2019.
“Pathan remained an average performer in last season but the JKCA still have roped him for upcoming Ranji Trophy season, which is a mockery on part of the existing body of administrators,” they said and questioned that why he is not giving his services as a mentor to the cricketers throughout an year if his contract has been renewed.
“He (Pathan) has scarcely been spotted in Jammu to fulfill his entrusted mentorship. His in famous statement that “Jammu Does not have Talent” came too prematurely,” rued the cricketers.
“His drab intervention into the matters of selection made the galaxy of selectors resign from their posts,” the former cricketers said.
The cricketers have also made a written complaint to the Board of Control for Cricket in India seeking reviewing functioning of JKCA headed by the CEO.
The cricketers also expressed anguish over shabby treatment to the former cricketers of Kashmir at the hands of the JKCA administration which did not allow them to enter the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium Srinagar, recently.
They however, expressed that they wanted to have a meeting with the CEO to lodge protests against the appointments of senior selectors from other states neglecting the eligible from the state of J&K.
The cricketers in one voice condemned the viewpoints of Ranji Trophy captain – Parvez Rasool for playing as a henchman of the JKCA made during a press conference and being a part of the politics played by the present JKCA administration.
“Mr Rasool claimed the washout of the cricket during the past 70 years of the JKCA history and laid emphasis that all the glory to the state cricket has been earned by only the current administration in the last two years and also claimed himself to be the sole icon of state cricket,” they alleged.
The meeting was attended by veteran and senior cricketers namely Kanwaljeet Singh, Vidya Bhaskar, Ashwani Gupta, Vijay Sharma, Dhruv Mahajan, Raj Kumar, Vivek Sharma, Vikrant Taggar, Sameer Khajuria, Jagtar Singh, Rakesh Chopra, Sanjay Sharma and other veteran cricketers.(UNI)
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