Srinagar: J&K Cricket stakeholders have lashed out at J&K Cricket Association Sub-Committee Mithun Manhas for the double standards as the former is busy with Legends League Cricket Tournament.
Despite barring local J&K cricketers from local cricket leagues, the former Delhi Cricketer who is JKCA Sub-Committee member has continued his forays into T20 Leagues. Currently Mithun Manhas is part of the Legends League Cricket Tournament with Gujarat Giants as Assistant Coach.
JKCA barred its local registered cricketers from participating in any local unauthorised leagues being held in any part of the J&K. The association has even reprimanded cricketers who took part in some league events.
The organisers who tried to get permission for the conduct of events were asked to conduct 50 over format events instead of shorter format.
While JKCA is strict with local cricketers on T20 participation, its own sub-comittee member Mithun Manhas who is heading the cricket operations of the association and has been the idea behind ban on local leagues in J&K has himself continuously been part of the Private T20 League.
He was part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Gujarat Titans during IPL 2022 as batting coach and currently is now part of the ongoing Legends League Cricket Tournament with Gujarat Giants as Assistant Coach.
“It is quite a contrast and total double standard from former cricketer who is running JKCA cricket affairs. While the said person is preaching our cricketers to stay away from T20 cricket and reprimanding them , he himself continue to be part of cash rich leagues, earning crores,” District Cricket Association (DCA) Srinagar President Nisar Khan said.
“In J&K, we don’t have too much cricket being organised at JKCA level. This season JKCA conducted 50 over format and 2 day format events. In which an individual player at the maximum was able to play only 4 to 5 matches in total. And all these players were barred from playing outside that and hence were denied to continue their play,” he said.
DCA President said it is total unethical on part of JKCA Sub-Committe member to himself be part of T20 leagues and barring our local talent.
“He is Sub-Committee member , earning salary from JKCA and continue to earn crores from private T20 league’s as well. Our cricketer’s have no means of earning money and they have been barred from local league participation,” he added.
Ghani Sports Group Chairmain Tariq Ghani said that JKCA Sub-Committe doesn’t care about rules and ethics.
“It is bad example being set up as the one who should be leading by example is floating them. While I am against banning local cricket, then the person who is behind the idea is doing opposite of that,” Tariq Ghani said.
“It is time for BCCI that has installed Sub-Committe in JKCA to set its house in order. BCCI should send a review committee to J&K and enquire about the happenings in JKCA. I am sure they will be surprised with many things,” he added.
Former cricketers have asked JKCA to come clear on this matter.
“For its tournaments JKCA asked me to be part of junior team as coach. After couple of matches I was asked to discontinue, reason being I continued to play in local leagues,” a former cricketer said.
“I accepted the JKCA decision and continued my passion of playing in local leagues. However, majority of our players couldn’t do that. While our local cricketers were barred, JKCA top official who sets rules in JKCA is himself part of Cash Rich league’s. They JKCA need to clear their stand on this and they should give reasonable justification of this,” he said.
Another former cricketer said that Manhas who is former cricketer need to lead by example and shouldn’t have participated in T20 leagues.
“He is making rules in JKCA currently which our local cricketer’s are being asked to follow. But then the person who is making rules is not setting the good example by being part of T20 leagues and earning big money,” he said.
“It is also shocking how this person who is getting salary from JKCA is allowed to part of these leagues. When he is away for months , who does his work,” he said.
KSW tried to contact JKCA Sub-Committee Members for thier quote but they didnt respond. KSW also sent an email query on the issue but that also didnt recieve any reply. The article would be updated when KSW gets any response from JKCA side.