DDCA opts for a new selection committee which, in turn, picks a new captain

A ranji Trophy victory was supposed to put things in order but, as it happens in the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), last season’s triumph has only triggered disorder within its ranks. It began right from the top and trickled down, infecting all quarters — the selectors, skipper and, finally, the list of probables.

While Arun Jaitley’s elevation as BCCI vice-president is great news, there’s an emergent need for the DDCA president to have a re-look at the cricketing affairs in his own backyard.

First up, the complete lack of recognition to the senior selection committee that picked a champion side last season is appalling. This despite a fervent plea by Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in person to the DDCA top brass to retain the same set for sake of continuity.

Instead, the sports committee removed two selectors Vinay Lamba and Vivek Razdan, demoted Manu Nayyar to under-22 and appointed three fresh selectors in their place. That the three new appointments were previously relieved of their duties midway by Jaitley is all the more intriguing, so is the lack of initiative or intent on the executive committee’s behalf to overturn arbitrary decisions.

In its very first meeting, the new selection committee spotted a ‘fault’ at the top of the team list, and ‘corrected’ it by replacing existing skipper Mithun Manhas with Aakash Chopra. While the decision to sack Manhas — who has stood in for Sehwag, when the regular captain and his deputy Gambhir are with the Indian team — has spread acrimony within the senior players, it has also sent out wrong signals as well.

... contd.