Cricketer made scapegoat,held mistakenly,says Omar

J-K CM said Parvez Rasool,who was detained in Bangalore on the suspicion of carrying explosives,was 'arrested mistakenly'.

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday said Parvez Rasool,a cricketer from the Valley detained in Bangalore on Saturday on the suspicion of carrying explosives,was made a scapegoat and arrested mistakenly.

We have been on the job from the moment we received the news about the arrest. There was some defect in the (bag scanning) machine (at Chinnaswamy Stadium) and Parvez was made a scapegoat and arrested mistakenly, Omar told reporters. We have asked different states that they should be sensitive while dealing with such cases. Omar said his government was in touch with Karnataka government over the issue.

Parvez Rasool and Mehrajuddin,members of the state under-22 cricket team,were detained by Karnataka Police after traces of explosives were allegedly found in their kit bag. They were later released for lack of evidence. The incident infuriated many in and outside the Valley and the J&K Cricket Association demanded an apology from Karnataka Police for harassing the cricketers.

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The incident also saddened the cricket enthusiasts who have long dreamed to see a player from the Valley play for the national team. That dream and longing has been more intense in South Kashmirs Bijbehara,the Valleys own cricketing backyard which is dotted with bat-manufacturing units. The bat industry started in this town around 40 years ago and has grown to become one of the major employers in these parts.

Parvez,as well as pacers Abid Nabi,Mudasir Gojri and Samiullah Beigh,kept afloat the Valleys hopes of seeing one of its own play for the national team.

The unsuccessful attempts of these players to be part of IPL teams this year was extensively covered by the local media as were their exploits on the field. Pervezs two centuries in last years C K Naidu trophy had turned him into a promising player with a potential to break into the big league. He narrowly missed entry into Kings XI Punjab team during the at Mohalli early this year.

My son has a future in cricket. I pray to God to protect him from the evil eye and undesirable suspicions, says Parvezs father Ghulam Rasool Zargar,a cricketer of no less refute himself. We are happy now that the problem has been sorted out.

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Sports lovers in the Valley,however,are not very happy. They say incidents like this will only dissuade young boys and girls from taking up sports. Our youth dream of playing for the country. Now even they will feel a psychological gap, says Abdur Rasheed,a retired civil servant.

Sportsmen and sports lovers are already furious with the Centre for asking Brazilian football coach Juan Marcos Troia,who has trained hundreds of young footballers in the Valley since 2007,to leave Kashmir. PTI