ABID KHAN
Srinagar, Feb 16: The sports fraternity of the valley attributes the deteriorating standard of cricket in the state to the quota system prevalent in the J&K Cricket Association. According to this system, it is customary to pick equal number of players from Jammu and Kashmir provinces irrespective of their talent. The quota system, which has been prevailing in the JKCA for over two decades, is ruining cricket in more ways than one. “Majority of the officials in the JKCA are against the quota system,” a senior official pleading anonymity said. “At the time of selection, the selectors insist on giving share to each province.” He said those at the helm were responsible for running cricket in the state. “The future of cricket is sacrificed on the altar of quota system,” he said. “Half of the team members do not deserve a place in the team in the first place. The bureaucracy and highhandedness of many an elite have the upper say in the JKCA affairs and nobody wants to raise a voice.” He said the officials who are staunchly against the ‘faulty’ system prefer to maintain silence for fear of losing their place. Questioning the wisdom of the JKCA in adhering to quota system, the J&K Sports Development Association, general secretary, Riyaz Ahmad said: “If the JKCA is sincere about saving cricket in the state, it should immediately abolish this faulty system.” He said the talent should be the priority rather than following a system that has no takers in today’s cutting-edge competition. “It is not like picking black and white players in South Africa that you should force a quota system,” he said. “Let all the quality players come from wherever they come, be Kashmir, Jammu or Ladakh.” Attributing recent failures of the cricket team to the defective quota system, he stressed picking of players strictly as per their talent. “If half of the players do not deserve to be in the team in the first place, how should you expect them to perform,” he asked. He suggested the JKCA to open more clubs and the selectors to monitor the performance of players individually and pick up the real talent. Many former cricketers also opined that quota system was detrimental to the future of cricket in the state. “The quota system is the main reason of downfall of JK cricket over the years,” cricketer Ishtiaq Ahmad of Dalgate said. “Despite the best talent available here, not a single player features in the national team.” He said other state teams were performing brilliantly in various national tournaments. “It is because these states have stringent rules of picking players on talent alone,” he said. “We should emulate the Gujarat example which has a sound cricket policy. It has given two big stars, Irfan Pathan and Yousuf Pathan to the Indian team at present.” Another cricketer Sameer Ahmad alleged the JKCA of playing in the hands of ‘wrongdoers’. “The JKCA is riddled with dirty politics which is the only reason of the downfall of cricket in the state,” he said. “It is high time the chief minister takes the reigns in his hands and orders a reshuffle of the entire JKCA administration.” Describing as unfortunate the prevailing quota system, the JKCA general secretary, Saleem Khan, said the doors for the talented players should be wide open. “The team should include the best players from wherever they are,” he said. “We’ve introduced few good changes and hopefully the cricket should improve in the years to come.” He said the Association was working towards abolishing the quota system. “We’ve been taking many initiatives and a new policy would be announced shortly,” he said.
Srinagar, Feb 16: The sports fraternity of the valley attributes the deteriorating standard of cricket in the state to the quota system prevalent in the J&K Cricket Association. According to this system, it is customary to pick equal number of players from Jammu and Kashmir provinces irrespective of their talent. The quota system, which has been prevailing in the JKCA for over two decades, is ruining cricket in more ways than one. “Majority of the officials in the JKCA are against the quota system,” a senior official pleading anonymity said. “At the time of selection, the selectors insist on giving share to each province.” He said those at the helm were responsible for running cricket in the state. “The future of cricket is sacrificed on the altar of quota system,” he said. “Half of the team members do not deserve a place in the team in the first place. The bureaucracy and highhandedness of many an elite have the upper say in the JKCA affairs and nobody wants to raise a voice.” He said the officials who are staunchly against the ‘faulty’ system prefer to maintain silence for fear of losing their place. Questioning the wisdom of the JKCA in adhering to quota system, the J&K Sports Development Association, general secretary, Riyaz Ahmad said: “If the JKCA is sincere about saving cricket in the state, it should immediately abolish this faulty system.” He said the talent should be the priority rather than following a system that has no takers in today’s cutting-edge competition. “It is not like picking black and white players in South Africa that you should force a quota system,” he said. “Let all the quality players come from wherever they come, be Kashmir, Jammu or Ladakh.” Attributing recent failures of the cricket team to the defective quota system, he stressed picking of players strictly as per their talent. “If half of the players do not deserve to be in the team in the first place, how should you expect them to perform,” he asked. He suggested the JKCA to open more clubs and the selectors to monitor the performance of players individually and pick up the real talent. Many former cricketers also opined that quota system was detrimental to the future of cricket in the state. “The quota system is the main reason of downfall of JK cricket over the years,” cricketer Ishtiaq Ahmad of Dalgate said. “Despite the best talent available here, not a single player features in the national team.” He said other state teams were performing brilliantly in various national tournaments. “It is because these states have stringent rules of picking players on talent alone,” he said. “We should emulate the Gujarat example which has a sound cricket policy. It has given two big stars, Irfan Pathan and Yousuf Pathan to the Indian team at present.” Another cricketer Sameer Ahmad alleged the JKCA of playing in the hands of ‘wrongdoers’. “The JKCA is riddled with dirty politics which is the only reason of the downfall of cricket in the state,” he said. “It is high time the chief minister takes the reigns in his hands and orders a reshuffle of the entire JKCA administration.” Describing as unfortunate the prevailing quota system, the JKCA general secretary, Saleem Khan, said the doors for the talented players should be wide open. “The team should include the best players from wherever they are,” he said. “We’ve introduced few good changes and hopefully the cricket should improve in the years to come.” He said the Association was working towards abolishing the quota system. “We’ve been taking many initiatives and a new policy would be announced shortly,” he said.
published in Greater Kashmir Feb.....17:02-2009 link : http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=17_2_2009&ItemID=4&cat=4
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