The humiliation was complete. And symbolic in more than one way when Assam drubbed Hyderabad by an innings in a Ranji Trophy match at Uppal Stadium on Friday.
Just consider this: two former off-spinners are holding key posts – N. Shivlal Yadav (BCCI interim chief) and Arshad Ayub (HCA chief). Harshavardhan makes his debut as Ranji off-spinner, as he is said to be the best bet, but ends up taking just two wickets in the only innings he bowled.
On the other hand, Assam offie Swarupam Purkayastha returns with a stunning 13-wicket haul to be a match-winner! Worse, left-arm fast bowler Anwar Ahmed took seven wickets against Tripura in the last game in which Hyderabad won but was dropped for this game. This can only happen in HCA.
Then, a joint-secretary drops a player named in the Hyderabad under-23 squad by the selection panel to include another of his own choice! Even HCA finances are in a mess. While Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), despite setting up world-class facilities, has a bank balance of about Rs. 30 crore, the HCA has already taken about Rs. 10 crore as advance. Another of HCA’s strange functioning is that while knowing fully well that Parade Grounds is not available every year for three weeks in January because of Republic Day preparations, all matches scheduled there were postponed for want of an alternative plan of action, ignoring the norm that no league matches should be postponed.
“We inherited a legacy of debts,” argues a senior HCA official, even while admitting that “voting members” do influence selections. Says former HCA secretary P.R. Man Singh: “I must confess that nothing is done by the new body for cricket,” says former HCA secretary P.R. Man Singh.
