Done in by reforms?

Rahul Singh and Riyan Parag

Assam under-19 left-arm spinner Rahul Singh and batting all-rounder Riyan Parag seem to have become the latest victims of Justice RM Lodha recommendations.

Rahul is the highest wicket-taker (54 wkts) and Parag is the third highest run-getter (682 runs) in the Cooch Behar Trophy for the 2016-17 season when Assam made it to the semi-finals. Parag also bagged 12 wickets. Interestingly, their names didn't even figure in the list of probables, let alone the Indian team that was selected to play the visiting England U-19 side recently.

They didn't even figure in the second list of players who were inducted in the team once the hosts clinched the one-day series which was played in Mumbai. Adding to the cup of woes, not a single player from the state was called for the preparatory camps.

Devajit Saikia, vice-president of Assam Cricket Association (ACA), felt that this could be a result of having no representative from that region in the national junior selection panel.

No zonal representation
East Zone selector Ashish Kapoor and North Zone selector Amit Sharma were dropped from the five-member selection committee as per the Supreme Court order. The current panel is headed by Venkatesh Prasad (South Zone) with Gyanendra Pandey (Central Zone) and Rakesh Parikh (West Zone) completing the permissible three-member panel.

"I don't understand how someone can miss the highest wicket-taker and the third highest run-getter in the tournament unless there is some ulterior motive behind this," asked Saikia. "What was more surprising was that despite Assam making it to the Cooch Behar semis, none of our players were called for preparatory camps. If there would have been someone from our zone in the selection committee then maybe things would have been different but this is disgraceful and the boys have lost an opportunity to showcase their talent," added Saikia.

Waiting for answers
"We have written to the chief of Committee of Administrators (COA) Vinod Rai on February 9 asking him the reason for this goof-up. This shouldn't have happened if the current administration truly stand for truth and transparency. There was no communication from Rai, so we wrote to him again on March 2 and are still waiting to hear from him," added Saikia.

Rai, who was in Singapore when contacted by mid-day on March 7, said: "I am away from the country and I can't talk on any letter from any association right now. The CEO is there to handle (all these problems)."

BCCI CEO Rahul Johri didn't respond to calls and a text message.