Srinagar: It is after around four year gap that J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) Sub Committee this season invited application from cricketers for senior T20 team selection trials, that it had kept restricted one since assuming the role of JKCA Sub Committee in the year 2021.
On June 15-2021, BCCI had formed a three-member administrative sub-committee to look after the affairs of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association. Soon after getting appointed, “off course unelected ones and being chosen administrating officials by BCCI”, the said committee made a controversial decision of keeping selection trials for senior cricketers restricted one without giving all the cricketers of J&K a fair chance through open trials. Only those cricketers were part of the probable selection camps who were getting direct calls from the JKCA appointed selection committee. Meaning doors closed for all the other aspiring individuals.
However, that all has changed this year, as JKCA Sub Committee announced the selection trials for senior cricketers for T20 team. It is first time that this committee has done that and hence first time the cricketers from all over J&K will get a fair chance to test their skills and luck.
On May 8, 2024, JKCA issued a talent hunt notice for T20 Team Trials senior men that read , “ The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association will be conducting centralized trials for the senior Men’s T20 format only at both the regions followed by trial matches for the selected players only. The schedule is as follows: Kahmir province venue is SK Stadium Sonwar from May 24 to 26 while as in Jammu venue is Hostel Ground Jammu from May 29 to 31. All players interested in participating in must email the following documents to JKCAjammukashmircricket@gmail.com not later than May 19th” .
The open talent trial for the senior T20 team should be welcomed by one and all but it also raises the question about the talent wasted and careers destroyed by keeping it closed one from 2021 till now. How many aspiring senior cricketers or the ones who had just one year of bad performance and were left out of pick and chose policy, may have left the cricket for once and for all. Who will bring them back, who will reignite the passion once again in them and who will repay for the lost time. These all questions have started to be raised by one and all who all these years had been requesting this committee to hold open trials.
“Finally they have come to their senses and invited players to be part of open trials. Whether selected or not selected is not even a question, but to give all a fair chance to be part of the selection process is what matters most. You never know what you come to face to face in open process and sometimes a hidden gem is found through these processes,” said a former J&K Ranji Trophy cricketer.
A former J&K Ranji Trophy captain has lashed out at the JKCA current regime for wasting talent and destroying careers by not giving everyone a fair chance since 2021.
“They are holding first trial for seniors since coming to power through BCCI. Till now they were inviting their chosen and handpicked ones only for the camps. Suddenly after wasting four years of Cricketers, they are now holding talent hunt trials for seniors as well. Amid all this, who will repay for the four years wasted and for the ones who altogether left cricket owing to JKCA apathy as they had no other means to sustain livelihood,” said former captain.
“Recently one of the three members had resigned and it is after that, the committee is holding open trials for seniors. It seems, that individual is the person who wasn’t allowing the committee to hold trials for seniors and only was allowing chosen ones to be part of senior team,” he said.
The former Ranji Trophy captain revealed that many top cricketers who had one or two bad seasons before this regime came into power were never able to make a comeback into the team owing the flawed policy.
“I know lot of well known J&K Cricketers, who just went through a bad season and never made comeback into the J&K team owing this flawed policy of not giving everyone a fair chance. For example, I had one bad season, and I wanted to make comeback into the team. Only way is to perform either in Trials, trials matches or JKCA organized matches. However, JKCA did nothing like that, it held no trials, hence no trial matches and is holding no event at all for general cricketers or clubs. So, how can that individual make his way back into the team. Only way is to get into good books of the JKCA people, as no other criteria was in place all these years,” he said.
Banning Local Cricket
Another flawed decision from JKCA since 2021 has been to ban players from playing local cricket. In a place like J&K where the only form of cricket that takes place is local cricket, banning its players from playing is bizarre. It has made players sit at home with JKCA itself not conducting any activities for most of the year.
Many cricketers are also rendered jobless as they would earn livelihood from playing local cricket. The only income for them right now is the match fee earned from nationals.
While one hopes for early JKCA elections and elected body to take over its affairs, banning local cricket and not holding open trial will forever remain one of the darkest chapters of J&K cricket.