Jammu and Kashmir Cricket controversy: BCCI to get sued by its own official?
Jammu and Kashmir Cricket controversy: BCCI to get sued by its own official?
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may be sued by its own official, if complications gradually are increased in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) which currently has two factions fielding-training their own teams in domestic tournaments. Parvez Rasool, the only cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir who has played cricket on the international level recently admitted that he is unclear of the current state of his state team. Rasool, who captained the state’s cricket team in the last year’s Ranji Trophy says he is not sure whether he is still the captain, adding that he has not even attended preparatory camp for the tournament. READ: Parvez Rasool livid at ongoing dispute in Jammu and Kashmir cricket
According to Times of India, BCCI vice-president ML Nehru, who is a part of the Farooq Abdullah faction, is furious after the board allowed the team representing the ruling faction—currently headed by Jammu and Kashmir sports minister Iqbal Raza Ansari—to play the opening match of the women’s U-19 zonal league one-dayers in Una, Himachal Pradesh. While the Nehru’s faction earlier had procured a stay order on the JKCA elections results from a sub-magistrate court in Jammu, the Ansari group too obtained a approving order from a similar-level court in Baramulla.
Nehru who has been furious with all the happenings in the state board, said, “I don’t know why our team had to miss out. Our side had better players, but sadly they weren’t allowed to play. I have written to Anurag Thakur about this. If our team isn’t allowed to play in the second match too, I will sue the BCCI. They’re a party in the Jammu court’s order, and if they don’t follow it, it will be contempt of court.” READ: Bishan Singh Bedi requests BCCI to help Jammu and Kashmir cricket
Meanwhile JKCA secretary Iqbal Shah had a different story to narrate. He said, “The BCCI’s decision to field our team has put a sense of relief in all the players here. A majority of them have been training with us for the past month, and they are being registered by BCCI for the forthcoming season too. We’ll soon announce our Ranji team. All our rival faction has done since they lost a fair election (on July 20 this year) is fight court cases.”
He further added,” They concealed quite a few facts in the case at Jammu court, but we won the case in Baramulla, while the district court has asked the status quo to be maintained. There is a CBI case registered in a fund embezzlement case against a few officials of the previous regime too. Ansari has spoken to Thakur, who has assured that the BCCI will recognize our teams across all age-group tournaments. Even Jagmohan Dalmiya was in our favour.”