Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, July 24: Rebutting the statement issued by a galaxy of former Ranji trophy players, on the other day, with regard to non-implementation of Lodha Recommendations in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), former First-Class cricketer and Senior Selector JKCA, Vinod Sharma said that the game of cricket in Jammu and Kashmir is on upswing from a last few years as the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has organised tournaments in almost all the districts of the State to help young cricketers hone their skill up to the optimum level, if not maximum.
He along with former Chairman Senior Selection Committee & Senior Selector, Ashender Koul and former skipper J&K Ranji Trophy team, Shahid Parvez said that 40,000 cricketers participated in the District Level Cricket Tournaments last season and 60,000 took part in such tournaments this season, adding that some boys from remote areas made it to the State teams and performed well at the National scene also.
They said Qamrans and Rasikhs getting the National selectors nod and making it to the Indian Under-19 team, portraits picture of the endeavours made by the Association to produce International stuff from the State.
Refuting the allegations of former cricketers that CEO has been a failure in offering transparency, fair treatment to cricketing fraternity and upholding the prospect of local former cricketers, Mr Sharma said that JKCA had entrusted the job of selection to these local cricketers only, but they failed in justifying the same and resigned from their posts, adding that had they been sincere to cricket and cricketers, rather than escaping from the pious job of selection, they should have given the suggestions by being within the system.
Referring to the appointment of the senior selectors from outside the State, Mr Sharma said that JKCA had no option left rather than getting the selectors from the other States, when the players from the State refused to take the assignments as selectors.
He gave credit of organising such mega tournaments to Committee of Administrators (CoA) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Meanwhile, Ashender and Shahid said that cricket run by the JKCA in the past was played at the Headquarters only i.e, (Srinagar & Jammu) and the players were picked from there only, adding that the game is now being played in all 22 districts of the State and the selection of the players is made in all the districts.
The trio of Vinod, Ashender and Shahid said that cricket ought to be run by the accomplished cricketers and advocated for the implementation of Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
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