While fans have been thronging Sheri-Kashmir Cricket Stadium Sonawar for watching the J&K’s Ranji Trophy match against Tripura despite cold weather conditions, they have complained of ‘Haphazard’ arrangements put in place by the court-appointed interim J&K Cricket Association (JKCA) management.
Hundreds of fans have been visiting the cricket stadium over the last 3 days to watch their State players take on Tripura. With the stadium falling in security zone, apart from facing access problems fans have complained of no facilities in place at stands by JKCA.
While JKCA interim officials were seen attending to their guests at VIP air-conditioned gallery and enjoying various delicacies, fans were being pushed from one corner to other by security persons.
“It has been three days and every day we are asked to go through a different route for watching the match. We have been confined to one particular gallery which gets full early on. After that, we are left to watch match while sitting on cement floor. They have closed access to other stands and every day they issue a new order. It looks they learn new things every passing day,” said a fan.
Even the former JKCA officials and club members were seen watching the match in public stands with no JKCA official visible. “They should respect the club members. JKCA exists because of club members and if there wouldn’t have been JKCA, then Court wouldn’t have been able to appoint these officials. If they can attend to their guests in VIP gallery why not old club members?” said a cricketer who was watching the match. Even media persons and photographers complained of lack of arrangements and said that no one cares about anything in JKCA.
“All the three days, I have regularly watched the match in public stand. There are no arrangements or access for media. Even photographers of different media houses clicked photographs from the stands. Ironically, there are no arrangements for conversation with players or officials of both the teams at the end of the day. JKCA is in slumber with one particular person controlling everything and it goes without saying that the person doesn’t care about anything,” said a media person who was covering the match.
