A hurt Atul Wassan vented his anger through Twitter on Thursday, a day after the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) sacked him as a senior state selector.
Slamming the association for its functioning, Wassan tweeted, “DDCA under the aegis of incumbent comeback man does it again. A MP running rough shod over all the rules, reforms and propriety. Proxy stooges who I dropped a season ago removing selectors on the order of their master.” Wassan’s obvious reference was to Gautam Gambhir, who was elected Member of Parliament this year.
When asked if there was a way out, Wassan responded, “Looking at the names and stature of the token cricketers kept by the DDCA in various positions shows that they need lapdogs desperate for jobs and few crumbs. They had to find a way to remove me.”
Wassan has never shied away from commenting on the functioning of the DDCA, often responding to requests from well-meaning officials to assume the responsibility of a selector. The team had performed well during his first term as selector and he was being pressurised to pick certain players.
“I refused to tow their line. I was asked the reasons for the team’s non-performance and then they wanted me to oblige some of their preferred candidates. I was assisted well by my colleagues (Vineet Jain and Anil Bhardwaj) but certain elements in the DDCA were upset because I did not pick their favourites,” said Wassan.
Former India all-rounder Madan Lal, who fashioned many a great victories for Delhi, called it the most disappointing phase DDCA. “I feel very sad the way international players are humiliated by the DDCA. The way things are going doesn’t speak well for Delhi cricket. No one is bothered about the game. Senior international players are not involved by the administration. The atmosphere is also bad.”
Wassan and Madan Lal called for intervention by the Board of Control for Control in India. They emphasised that the DDCA was well run by two administrators preceding the current set of office-bearers and it was time for the authorities to “act.”
The Government Nominees in the DDCA Apex Council have approached the Ombudsman Justice (Retd) Badar Durrez Ahmed to ensure the officials in power adhered to the constitution of the association.
