0
0
Bihar cricket is once again under the scanner. After CricBlogger reported several alleged anomalies in the selection processes for both senior and junior teams, it has now emerged that the Supreme Court’s directive to appoint five selectors each for senior and junior cricket, along with two selectors for women’s cricket, has allegedly been treated with utter disregard.
“It is extremely unfortunate that despite the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India appointing two retired judges — Justice Deepak Gupta as Ombudsman and Justice Ashwani Kumar Singh as Administrator — to ensure the smooth and transparent functioning of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), serious questions continue to arise over the functioning of Bihar cricket,” Aditya Verma, the petitioner in the Supreme Court who has been fighting to bring stability to Bihar cricket, told CricBlogger.
It is understood that the senior men’s selection committee is headed by former national selector Harvinder Singh, with S. Sharath and Amitabh Vijayvargiya as members. Meanwhile, Harvinder Sodhi heads the junior selection committee, with Sodhi Patel and Kishan as his fellow selectors. The women’s selection committee comprises Sulakshana Naik and Amrita.
The most glaring instance concerns Bihar’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 squad, led by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. According to the information available, only two selectors — Harvinder Singh and Vijayvargiya — were involved in picking a 17-member squad, along with 16 standby players.
“Can anyone explain how two selectors could adequately assess and select 33 players for such an important domestic tournament without raising questions about the credibility and transparency of the process?” Verma asked.
He also raised concerns over the financial implications of approaching the Ombudsman with complaints, suggesting that the process itself could become an additional hurdle for stakeholders seeking accountability.
“Another serious concern is that if a stakeholder approaches the Ombudsman with a complaint, even the question of legal expenses and requests for exemption from legal fees become an additional hurdle,” Verma added.
