Shady selection process leads to dismal performance of teams at national level

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 13: Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) is conducting shady selection process for the blue eyed boys, which leads to dismal performance of the teams at the national level.
The selection process is mostly tailor-made for the blue-eyed boys who include relatives and sons of members of the JKCA and those of some prominent clubs. The trials are done in nets while in other States there is proper procedure based on performance of the players in State level tournaments.
And this year’s selection for Under-23 is classic example of shady process. The coaching camp and the trials for this year’s Under-19 and Under23 were conducted for selection of teams between 16-09-2017 and 30-09-2017 (No. 36/JKCA/JS/K dated 15-09-2017). And the selectors who chose final Under-23 team were not part of the selection process as they joined the meeting for the selection of the team on October 3, 2017.
Huwaid Rounga, one of the selectors, as per JKCA, was unable to be a part of the selection process due to his busy academic schedule at NIS Patiala (JKCA/SELECTION/U-19/06-08).
All the selectors of the Under-23 – Huwaid Rounga, Inderjeet Singh and Jagtar Singh – were called (JKCA/SELECTION/U-23/29-32, JKCA/ SELECTION/ U-25/25-28 and JKCA/SELECTION/U-23/21-24 dated 30-09-2017) for selection of the team that had to leave for Guntur Andhra Pradesh before 6th October, 2017 for CK Nayadu Trophy.
The shortlist for this year’s Under-23 squad was prepared by Wajahat Majeed (selector for Under-19 for Kashmir Province) on 26/09/2017 who was given additional charge as selector by the JKCA (JKCA/SELECTION/U-19/06-08) whereas the final selection list was prepared by Huwaid Rounga, Inderjeet Singh and Jagtar Singh.
Majority of the players in Kashmir have been selected from three clubs out of 25 registered clubs as members of these clubs are the office bearers of the JKCA. One of the clubs is Kashmir Gymkhana Cricket with Iqbal Shah who is general secretary of the JKCA as member, another is Sangam Cricket Club with Shiban Lal Trakroo as member who is working committee member of JKCA and other is UCC Cricket Club.
And besides this some of the selectors in JKCA are full time Government employees working in Youth Services and Sports. Two selectors, Mansoor Ahmad Lone and Jagtar Singh, both are Physical Education Teachers in DYSS. And they are Selectors in JKCA which is violation of Lodha Committee Recommendation wherein no political/Government employee can hold any post in BCCI and affiliated State Cricket Associations.
Manzoor Ahamd Lone, who was made the Net Incharge for Under-19 and Under-23 categories (16/09/2017 – 26/09/2017) had conflict of Interest as his son Momin Mansoor got selected in Under-23 C.K Nayadu Trophy squad for this year. He was figuring at number 23 in the preliminary list of players for Kashmir division after the trials were conducted in nets between 16/09/2017 and 26/09/2017while as in the final list of the State he figured at number 2, topping the selected players of Kashmir division.
The shady selection process has led to the dismal performance of teams in Ranji Trophy, Under-23 and Under-19 tournaments.
In Ranji Trophy this year, Jammu and Kashmir only managed to win one match against Jarkhand while in all other matches this year, their performance was dismal. In J&K versus Gujarat- J&K lost by an innings and 64 Runs, in J&K versus Saurashtra- J&K lost by an innings and 212 Runs, in J&K versus Kerala – J&K lost by 158 runs and in J&K versus Rajasthan-Match was Drawn.
In Under-23 matches played this year they didn’t register any win. In J&K versus Tripura – J&K lost by 105 Runs, in J&K versus Assam -J&K lost by 5 wickets and in J&K versus Rajasthan- Match was Drawn.
In Under -19 (one days) held this year in J&K versus Haryana- J&K lost by 6 wickets, in J&K versus Punjab- J&K lost by 117 runs, in J&K versus Delhi – J&K lost by 163 Runs and in J&K versus Himachal Pradesh- J&K won by 51 runs.