NEYAZ ELAHI
J&K senior cricket team that tasted three consecutive defeats in Vijay Hazare Trophy-2018 has come under sharp criticism as insiders believe that deserved players have been sidelined while the team was not actually selected by the reputed selectors.
If reliable sources are to be believed, all the four selectors have resigned after they felt the players they had selected were not given any place in the team.
Jammu Kashmir Cricket Team has so far conceded defeats at the hands of Bengal, Tripura and Haryana and among these three matches, the team was able to cross 100 mark only once against Haryana. The cricketer cum coach Irfan Pathan, who had become part of the JK Team after receiving a whooping Rs 58 lakh yearly contract has miserably failed in all the three matches and managed to score only four runs- 3 against Bengal and one run against Tripura while against Haryana he scored a duck.
“Sometimes you perform and sometimes it is not your day. The question is why talented players are not part of the playing team. Ian Dev Singh like talented player was not given any chance. Singh has the highest number of centuries (14) from JK to his name but kept out of the playing team,” said an individual associated with Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association.
He added that JKCA was availing the services of Delhi cricketer Puneet Bisht who was the best wicket keeper batsman. He did a great job for JK team. This time he was ignored to pave way for Irfan Pathan. Pathan selects the team on his own without consulting anyone. “There is no role for selectors. It’s a one man show only, though sometimes he consults CEO JKCA. The wrong selection has badly hit the team,” he said.
The insiders told news agency CNS that the selection of Irfan Pathan came under sharp criticism from day one as the team needs a batsman and not a bowler. JK Cricket Team has talented bowlers like Mudasir Molvi, Samiullah Beigh, Ram Dayal and Mehjoor. What the need of the hour was to avail the services of a top-class batsman. Insiders feel that wrong selection has been costing team heavily and if the JK team will go again with the same team against Jharkahand on Sep 27, most probably, the result will be the same.
Vijay Hazare Trophy is 50-over format tournament for which J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) has fielded 20-member squad under the captaincy of Parvez Rasool.
