Sack selectors if teams win is success ‘mantra’ of JKCA Administrators

Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, Jan 27: When the teams produce better results and the players perform brilliantly, the custom, the practice or a system in every Sports Association, Federation or Board is that the players along with the selectors are given perks and incentives as an encouragement to do better. However, it is all together a different story in the scheme of things in jaundiced Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), where selectors are sacked for better performances of the State teams.
In JKCA, the senior selectors received a squint-eyed treatment for producing good results. And what is astonishing is the fact that JKCA is presently not being governed by its own office bearers but by the Administrators, employed by the Court with an aim to clear the mess in the fractured Cricket Association.
The Administrators of JKCA including retired Supreme Court Justice, CK Prasad and retired Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Rafat Alam in a bizarre decision rather than clearing mess in JKCA, created more of it by sacking the selectors or forcing them to resign after their fabulous show as for as the performance of the State teams is concerned, putting a question mark not only on the cricketing wisdom of the Administrators, but also on their administrative skills.
According to the reliable sources, the senior selectors of Jammu of and Kashmir Cricket Association including AshwanI Gupta (Chairman), Zahoor Bhat, Vivek Sharma, Arshid Bhat and Pradeep Bali after selecting J&K team for Mushtaq Ali T20 Cricket Tournament had to listen the music of the players and their patrons for their non selection, who sources added had approached the Administrators and the CEO personally or via email to project their issues.
Jammu and Kashmir State team performed reasonably well in Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, beating the formidable teams like Punjab and Haryana, vindicating the stance of the selectors for picking a balanced team and making an end to the rough music they had to listen earlier.
However, after picking the Under-23 State team for the One Dayers, the fingers, as usual, were again raised on the selectors probably for showing regional bias and the information regarding the matter was at once issued to the Administrators.
However, the J&K Under-23 team gave a stunning performance by thrashing strong Delhi in a historic run chase, trouncing formidable Himachal Pradesh in a close contest and defeating Haryana by 6 wickets today in the first three outings of the ongoing tournament, again vindicating the selectors stand.
Sources further said, the Administrators who were informed about all the developments taking place in Jammu when they were staying at their homes, at once flew to Jammu to take stock of the situation.
“The Administrators, who are being paid only for their working days, rather than taking some healthy steps, took no time in making a new selection committee, depicting their autocratic way of dealing things, besides taking undue advantage of the Court mandate. The decision also raises fingers on the working style of the CEO and the Committee members for failing to convince Administrators,” sources added.
After forcing the selectors to resign or sacking them, the Administrators have appointed former Ranji Trophy player, Parvez Qaiser as Chairman of the new selection committee, with former Ranji Trophy players Vidya Bhaskar and Dhruv Mahajan as the members and Parvez Rasool as (Captain/Member).
Sources revealed that the Administrators had appointed former First Class player Kavaljeet Singh as selector, who did not accept the assignment, because he wanted to be the chairman of the selection committee, which Administrators refused, forcing them to induct Dhruv Mahajan in the committee.
“I am at a loss to understand as to what forced the Administrators to change the selectors when there was a healthy environment all around and the teams were winning. T20 men’s team won two big matches, T20 women’s team registered a win against their counterparts from Punjab, apart from outstanding display by J&K Under-23 team,” said a JKCA Working Committee Member on the condition of anonymity.
It is pertinent to mention here that the JKCA Administrators, who are being paid Rs 75,000 each for every working day, with a sole objective to clear the mess and take initiatives to hold free and fair elections of JKCA as per the Lodha recommendations after the clearance of the club disputes by the Ombudsman, rather than making endeavours in that direction are taking hasty decisions to create chaos and confusion.
“If the Administrators are really interested in enhancing the performances of the players and the teams, rather than making changes in selection committees, they should take initiatives with regard to holding of standard matches of the selected probable. Selecting teams after holding three or four practice matches hardly serves the purpose of better selection,” said a cricket coach while expressing anonymity.
He further said that the Administrators themselves are not clear about making changes as per the Lodha recommendations as they made the selections through the selectors, among whom only few were eligible as per these recommendations.
When contacted by the EXCELSIOR after there were speculations of sacking JKCA selectors, Administrator CK Prasad had said that he would look into the matter and take decision accordingly for better health of cricket and cricketers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Court mandate do not empower the Administrators to autocratically sack the heavyweight selectors with hardly any fault of theirs.
It happens only in JKCA!
There is a general feeling that those who get a place to run the affairs of JKCA, after enjoying power and pelf, search for the longevity of their tenures. For that matter, on gets a feeling that the Administrators are taking the same route. Why should they make endeavours to hold early election of JKCA is a million dollar question?

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