SHILLONG: Meghalaya’s cricketers are suffering from a lack of action on the part of other states in fulfilling various criteria set by the BCCI, which has led to them sitting on the sidelines of the sport.
In a letter dated January 11 from the Meghalaya Cricket Association’s Honorary Secretary, Naba Bhattacharjee, Sanjay Patel, Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, was urged to review the current approach in promoting cricket among New Area Development Programme (NADP) states, which includes Meghalaya, so that players from the state are not penalised further for other states’ failings.
Until 2011-12, regular tournaments for Associate and Affiliate members in different age categories were held, along with coaching camps and umpire clinics.
The Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) was adjudged the best managed association during the period in terms of cricketing activities and submission of timely, audited accounts, Bhattacharjee said.
In the letter, which was released to the press on Sunday, Bhattacharjee pointed out that since the revival of the NADP sub-committee by the BCCI in 2012, there has been “a total halt in all such developmental programmes”.
“Numerous reports, documents, budgets, etc have been submitted on a regular basis by the sub-committee,” the letter went on to say, but no positive action was taken.
The MCA has continued to prepare players for BCCI tournaments, including a three-month camp for an Associate and Affiliate tournament in 2012-13 that never happened because some states did not register players under a certain required process.
On January 6 of this year, a letter was received by the MCA from the BCCI’s Games Development Manager saying that a planned tournament this month would not go ahead as scheduled because no North East state other than Meghalaya had sent in their registration forms.
This came after the MCA had dutifully carried out selection and coaching camps that began in November 2013.
In his letter to Patel, Bhattacharjee said it was unfair that the players of Meghalaya should suffer due to “the lapses of others, which will lead to a demoralising effect on the young cricketers who are undergoing rigorous training for months to showcase their performance in BCCI tournaments.”
“Cricket and our young cricketers are suffering for no fault of theirs,” the letter said.
Bhattacharjee proposed that if the tournaments are not held this year, then exposure trips to states outside the North East be organised for Meghalaya.
He also urged that grants pending for the last three seasons be released without further delay.
Patel has reportedly given his assurance that he will looking into the issues on a priority basis.