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‘Newbie’ TCJAC enters the fray as Telangana’s ‘cricket war’ gets stranger by the day
The war for cricket in Telangana gets stranger by the day. There are several players in the field who say their heart beats for Telangana and their only interest is to ensure that the cricketers from rural areas of Telangana are not given a cold shoulder.
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), which is the parent body for cricket in Telangana and is affiliated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is fighting on many fronts with a couple of them filing cases in the courts and some even presenting petitions to the BCCI seeking affiliation.
The HCA has to be blamed on many a count for ignoring the aspirations of the cricketers in the districts. Over the years, the HCA has failed to give a serious look at the expansion of facilities and formation of leagues in the districts.
Even after the bifurcation of the state, the HCA has been moving at a snail’s pace in expanding the number of district associations. Even 12 years after the formation of the Telangana State, the HCA has only nine district associations on its rolls. They are: Adilabad CA, Karimnagar CA, Khammam CA, Mahabubnagar CA, Medak CA, Nizamabad CA, Warangal CA, Hyderabad CA, Rangareddy CA.
The officials have been so caught up in the battle of preservation that they don’t have time to look at issues which matter the most. Their lethargic response to the aspirations of cricketers has given rise to non-state players who claim to the sole custodians of cricket in Telangana. They want the BCCI to give them associate status so that they can take care of cricket in the areas beyond Hyderabad. All their efforts till now have not borne fruit.
HCA’s belated efforts to deflect criticism
In a belated effort to deflect criticism, the HCA last month formed a five-member District Cricket Infrastructure Development Committee (DCIDC), under the chairmanship of former HCA secretary T Shesh Narayan.
T Shesh Narayan says he will transform cricket in the districts, and his team has a concrete gameplan on hand
“Now it is for us to take cricket to the nook and corner of Telangana. I want the district players to know that HCA cares as much for you as you crave to play for Hyderabad,” Shesh Narayan had said at a press conference.
It was told that eventually, each district will have its own association affiliated to the HCA, the procedure for which will be laid out by the Single Member Committee (SMC). How long will it take for the SMC to lay down the guidelines for affiliation to district bodies? Will it ‘eventually’ take decades to happen? Is there a time-bound approach to the issue? Or is it just a ploy to buy more time and ensure that the issue does a natural death?
Why no league cricket in Telangana districts?
Another aspect is that the existing district association bodies are headed by people who have been in power for donkey’s years. Why does the Justice (retd) RM Lodha recommendations not apply to them? After all they are not clubs but are district associations and thereby they too should be under the ambit of the Lodha recommendations. If the state cricket associations have to follow the Lodha rules, then isn’t it pertinent that the district associations too need to implement them.
Why should cricketers come to Hyderabad to play the leagues? Why have the existing district associations, which get development funds from the HCA, not started league cricket in their areas? Why are teams made to travel all the way to Hyderabad?
Shouldn’t the HCA officials have ensured that a structured league cricket was developed in each district so that more players could be exposed to the game? Is the DCIDC at least now planning to start league cricket in the districts? Or are they only interested in offices and academies?
TCJAC queers the pitch for non-state players
Queering the pitch, a Telangana Cricket Joint Action Committee (TCJAC) on Wednesday demanded that the scope of the HCA be expanded to cover all districts and constituencies in Telangana.
The TCJAC, which obviously is a self-appointed body, conveyed its demands to HCA secretary M Jeevan Reddy through a press note. The representation was handed over to the secretary by its chairman Jimmy Babu.
TCJAC chairman Jimmy Babu gives a representation to HCA secretary M Jeevan Reddy at the RGIC Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad, on Wednesday
The TCJAC pointed out that 33 districts were formed in Telangana during 2016–17 and hence it demanded that the HCA grant affiliation to all 33 districts and 119 assembly constituencies in the state. It also urged the implementation of the gazette notification issued by the President in 2016–17.
The committee alleged that the lack of HCA affiliation currently limits opportunities for cricketers from rural areas and stated that talented players in rural areas are deprived of a platform to showcase their skills.
It also noted that while approximately 35 percent of Telangana’s population resides in urban areas, they have access to 209 cricket clubs. Conversely, only eight clubs are available for the 65 percent of the population living in rural areas. It emphasized the need to eliminate this disparity between urban and rural regions.
The TCJAC demanded the allocation of new HCA clubs/district associations to ensure equal opportunities for rural talent. It urged the HCA to take measures to foster the development of cricket in Telangana with equal opportunities for all.
Is the HCA using the TCJAC to outwit the other players in the field and, thereby, nullify the impact?
Interesting times lie ahead for cricket in Telangana.