Delhi Cricketer Never Kept Wickets And Still Picked As Wicketkeeper: Selection Controversy Hits DDCA, President Acts

DDCA faces controversy as a senior official allegedly influenced U-19 squad selection for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, prompting Rohan Jaitley to intervene and replace the player.

The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) is facing the heat for being embroiled in yet another controversy. An U-19 cricketer is alleged to have been picked in the squad as a backup wicketkeeper on the insistence of a senior DDCA official despite never having kept the wickets.

According to Dainik Jagran, in a 23-member squad for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy was selected on October 3 but the name of one player, picked as the 22nd member, raised eyebrows following which DDCA office bearers lodged a complaint with the board President Rohan Jaitley.

The report claimed that a senior DDCA official pressurised the junior selectors to have that player part of the squad.

However, Jaitley sprang into action after being made aware of the controversial selection and struck off the said player’s name from the squad and replaced by another specialist wicketkeeper for the U-23 tourney to be held in Ranchi from October 9.

Additionally, a couple of players have also been dropped from the squad including one for discrepancies in documents.

Presence Of DDCA Officials In Selection Meeting Raises Storm

This comes days after DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma shot a letter to Jaitley raising objection over the presence of three directors during a selection committee meeting for the U-23 and Ranji Trophy teams.

As per Sharma, Harsh Singla, Anand Verma and Manjeet Singh insisted on being part of the meeting and refused to leave.

“Directors cannot be part of the selection committee meetings. However, Harsh Singla, Anand Verma and Manjeet Singh entered the room and demanded that they be part of the meeting. I had to defer the meeting as they refused to leave. I have written a letter to the DDCA president highlighting the issues related to today’s selection committee meeting," Sharma told The Indian Express.

In his letter Sharma raised concerns about the selection process.

“The recent selection process has raised serious concerns about the functioning of the DDCA selection committee. Contrary to established practices and BCCI guidelines, the Apex Council members have overstepped their roles, undermining the autonomy and credibility of the selection committee. We urge you to revisit the selection process and ensure that it adheres to the norms and best practices followed by the BCCI… today, a few directors also attended the meeting, which raises concerns about potential bias and undue influence. Notably, one of the directors’ presence seems particularly pertinent given that a family member is a candidate for selection," the letter stated.

Click here to read article