Peeved at the unprofessional ways of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA), former India captain Ajay Jadeja, drafted in as the chief senior coach, on Thursday decided enough is enough and relinquished his post.
Even as he maintained it was a decision prompted by his interest for cricket in general, it was clear that he was disgusted with the handling of the entire episode, starting with captain Gautam Gambhir expressing his preference for Vijay Dahiya as the coach. What irked Jadeja the most was a top DDCA official selling the story that he was unhappy with the appointment of Amit Bhandari as the assistant coach.
“I have read in the newspapers that the reason I have not travelled with the team is because Amit Bhandari has been appointed assistant coach. I would like to clarify that this is not the reason. It is sad to see that once again, players are being used to settle personal scores in the DDCA,” Jadeja told The Hindu .
Explaining the reason for accepting the assignment, Jadeja said, “I am extremely thankful to all the people instrumental in my getting involved with Delhi cricket. As I understood the developments, the government nominees had got involved after the fiasco of the three different lists of probables being proposed and the different factions claiming to be in control. My purpose, I thought, was to see that cricket could carry on and the players would not be disadvantaged. That was the only reason for I being involved. I don’t belong to any faction in the DDCA.”
Exasperated with the way the DDCA made some appointments in the support staff without his knowledge, Jadeja added, “Now, it seems the DDCA is back to working on its own and does not need the services of anyone appointed by the government nominees or otherwise. No one within the organisation seems to have a problem with this way of functioning.”
In conclusion, Jadeje noted, “Obviously, my opinion or inputs don’t matter to DDCA. I wish Delhi cricket the best.”
Incidentally, Delhi took the field against Rajasthan here on Thursday without anyone aware of who the coach was even though Bhandari was around.
