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Justice Sailesh Kumar Sinha, serving as the Ombudsman of the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA), has taken a significant step by urging the BCCI to reconstitute a fair and accountable selection committee for Bihar’s cricket team. This move comes after persistent efforts from the Patna High Court to instill transparency and accountability in the state’s cricketing affairs. Justice Sinha’s decision to put a stay on the existing Bihar selection committee reflects concerns about its fairness and effectiveness in fostering a competitive team for domestic cricket.
By ordering the BCA to nominate a fresh committee, Justice Sinha aims to bring in a more transparent and merit-based selection process, ensuring that Bihar can effectively compete at the domestic level. This is a pivotal moment for Bihar cricket, as a newly formed committee could help revive the state’s performance and credibility on the national stage. In his order, Justice Sinha highlighted a crucial point raised by Kartik Pandey, who represented Aditya Verma, the complainant. Pandey submitted a plea emphasising that the BCA had failed to form a selection committee during its Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Instead of addressing this important issue, the association only appointed a treasurer, neglecting the constitution of a crucial committee responsible for team selections. This lapse in the BCA’s governance and adherence to proper protocols further strengthens the need for the ombudsman’s intervention.
Justice Sinha’s order to nominate a fresh selection committee seeks to rectify this oversight, ensuring that the BCA follows the correct procedures and prioritises building a competent and accountable cricket team. The plea underscores the importance of transparency and fair decision-making in the administration of cricket, a standard that the BCA must now strive to meet following the court’s directives.
“The anomaly that remained previously hasn’t changed at all and since the BCA isn’t making any effort to change things, the intervention from BCCI is a must,” Pandey told CricBlogger.
Justice Sinha in his order also explains the importance of forming a fresh selection committee with integrity and professionalism, rather than relying on the same individuals who have been accused of favouring their relatives in state team selections. By calling for a newly constituted body, Justice Sinha is pushing for an overhaul of the current system to eliminate any biases and nepotism that may have tainted the selection process in the past.
This directive aims to ensure that players are chosen based on merit and performance, rather than personal connections, which has been a common grievance in many state cricket associations. The goal is to build a more competitive and transparent environment for Bihar’s cricket team, with selectors who are committed to fairness and the long-term development of talent. This move by Justice Sinha is a clear step toward restoring credibility to the BCA and ensuring that deserving players get the opportunities they merit.
