No JK player in IPL Kings XI squad

Abid Khan
Srinagar, Feb 10:In second consecutive season in the much-hyped Indian Premier League (IPL) players from J&K state will be missing.
The IPL franchisee, Kings XI Punjab, co-owned by bollywood actress Preity Zinta and Wadia Group owner Ness Wadia announced its squad for the second season recently. The squad includes both inter-national and local players but has no JK player.
JK, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab come under the jurisdiction of Kings XI team .It had to pick its domestic players out of these four states under the quota system.
For that purpose Kings XI organized, Punjab Cup, Twenty20 tournament for the four states at Chndigarh and Mohali from 28th January to 2nd February in which five teams participated. Two teams of Punjab and one each from other three.
Like other three states J&K cricket Association also sent its squad for the IPL tournament cum selection trial. Team lost all its matches in the tournament but individual performance of some of the players was worthwhile. JK got some hope when three players were short-listed by the selection committee of tournament. They were Parvez Rasool, Arshid Sheikh and Javed. But in the final list they were not included.
Confirming this official of JKCA said that in the initial list they were included but in the final list the team featured no player from JK.
Terming it unfortunate for the stare he said, “It is really unfortunate for our state that in second consecutive year IPL will have no JK representation. At the beginning of the selection tournament we thought that it is an ample opportunity for our players to prove themselves”. “Though our team failed but there were some good individual performances from our boys due to which we thought that this time our player will be in squad but in the end it didn’t.”
He said that the three players who were short-listed had performed brilliantly in the tournament deserved to get place in the team.
“Parvez, Javed, Arshad gave their best in the tournament due to which they were short listed but in the final list they were knocked out. I think that is not fair one or two out of them should have been kept at least in the squad if not played.”
Last year when the IPL was launched, initially there was no player from JK in any of the franchisee squad but before tournament began Kings XI included 19-year-old valley pacer Mudasir in its emerging talent list. Mudasir was in the squad and used to practice alongside team but was no were seen in the dugout. Interestingly he was showed way home before tournament concluded by franchisee management.
This year the JKCA had hoped that its spearhead pacer Samiullah Beigh would be definitely in the squad after his brilliant performance in the Ranji Trophy tournament this year. In the five matches he took 25 wickets for state and also performed brilliantly with bat. On that basis he was selected for North Zone team for Duleep Trophy.
Though he was selected but was not included in playing eleven and during that period the selection trials of Kings XI Punjab were held and he missed that.
“Samiullah doesn’t require to give any trial his performance speak volumes about him,” said JKCA official. “It is only do to his Kashmir background that he was not selected.”


International players: Brett Lee, James Hopes, Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach, Simon Katich and Burt Cockley (all Australia); Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene (both Sri Lanka); Ravi Bopara (England); Jereme Taylor (West Indies).
Team India players: Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, S. Sreesanth, R. Powar, V.R.V. Singh and Piyush Chawla.
Domestic players: Karan Goel, Uday Kaul, Wilkin Mota, Ajitesh Argal, Tanmay Srivastava, Sunny Sohal, Sahil Kukreja, Ryan Ninan and Yash Gandhi.

published in greater kasmir on Feb 11: link http://greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=11_2_2009&ItemID=4&cat=4