Telangana: HCA Faces Backlash Over U19 Team Selection

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has gone ahead and knit together a team for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Under-19, which is being hosted in Mohali from October 4 to 10, without conducting a pre-selection tournament.

Having drawn condemnation from all quarters, including district units, the HCA has now agreed to conduct a tournament in Warangal, which serves no purpose as the team has already been selected.

District cricket associations from Karimnagar, Adilabad, Khammam, Warangal, Mahbubnagar, Medak and Nizamabad have raised the banner of revolt against the HCA, which has done away with a combined districts team and crushed the prospects of players belonging to the districts.

V. Agam Rao, president of the Karimnagar District Cricket Association, said that not even a single player from the districts figured in the 80-odd probables called by the HCA.

“The HCA now wants players to join coaching clubs in Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts and collects huge amounts. Teams are selected for age-group championships as per their whims and fancies. The multi-million racket is killing cricket in districts,” he said.

President of the newly-floated Telangana Districts Cricket Association (TDCA), A. Venkateshwar Reddy, formerly chairman of the Sports Authority of Telangana State (SATS), said that the association would not rest till budding players from districts get their due representation in the state team.

Agam Rao said that it was some solace that a tournament is to be conducted (date is yet to be decided) in Warangal, for the first time in seven years.