Dodgy picks, sexual harassment FIR and Bihar cricket rot

This month, Bihar made eight adjustments to the taking part in XI for his or her last Ranji Trophy recreation towards Arunachal Pradesh. They nonetheless ended the season and not using a win, ending behind BCCI’s newer groups Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim and Arunachal.

Here’s one apparent motive. The season that began with two under-19 groups getting into BCCI’s age-group match, each claiming to characterize the divided Bihar Cricket Association(BCA), has been marked by fixed chopping and altering. The recreation of musical chairs, the place 62 cricketers represented Bihar throughout tournaments, additionally noticed three coaches and a selector being modified inside months. There are different causes that aren’t so apparent. BCA president Rakesh Tiwary, a former state BJP treasurer, is on the centre of allegations of procedural wrongdoing and interference within the collection of groups. Tiwary was additionally named in a sexual harassment FIR filed on the Parliament Street police station in Delhi by an proprietor of a participant administration agency.

The costs levelled towards Tiwary by his colleagues embody holding key choice conferences at his residence. Officials and coaches say those that didn’t toe Tiwary’s line have been proven the door.

Former Bihar first-class participant and coach Tarun Kumar says he put his foot down when Tiwary tried to affect the choice course of. “There would be frequent requests to accommodate relatives of bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen. Such requests would regularly be from Tiwary. As I didn’t agree, I was sacked. Some of the players for the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy were not even fit for club cricket,” Kumar stated.

When contacted, Tiwary stated the background of gamers was not a standards however cricketing benefit was. “We won’t play sons of bureaucrats and other such influential people just because their fathers are at an advantageous position,” Tiwary informed The Indian Express.

Nikhilesh Ranjan, a Bihar batsman from the Nineties, changed Kumar for the 50-over match, the Vijay Hazare Trophy. After the primary two matches, Ranjan was demoted to assistant coach earlier than being sacked.

“In the third match, Pavan Kumar, my assistant, was made the head coach and I was made his assistant. About 30 minutes into the fourth match, the manager called me while I was at the ground. He asked me to go back to the hotel, pack up and leave. Since there is no secretary or joint secretary, the president is in charge,” Ranjan stated.

“In the recently concluded season, two reserve selectors were appointed apart from the three main selectors…this means the BCA was already aware that one of the three main selectors appointed would probably leave in between,” he stated.

According to Tiwary, the change in again room personnel was necessitated as a result of the coach was inflicting rifts within the crew.

“In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, of the two coaches sent… there was a tussle between some of the players and we found that a coach was involved in incitement. The Ranji Trophy coach was found guilty in a very old case by the court of the Ethics Officer. However, we still appointed him. Later, someone filed a petition in the court of the Ethics Officer and the court held that once it has deemed someone guilty, how can he be appointed coach once again,” Tiwary stated.

What has additionally raised eyebrows is the excessive variety of gamers and standbys that represented Bihar this season. While this season’s Covid protocol allowed groups to call a 20-member squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Bihar picked 25, together with two reserves. Of them, 23 made it to the Playing XI, together with the 2 reserves. Typically three or 4 gamers are named as stand-by groups, however Bihar had 15 for the Vijay Hazare match and Ranji Trophy.

Since the beginning of the home season in September final 12 months, 62 senior cricketers have made it to the taking part in XI of Bihar throughout codecs. The corresponding numbers in established groups, like Mumbai and Karnataka, are 43 and 51, respectively. Those within the know say that extra gamers means extra individuals will be obliged.

Kumar Arvind, former BCA joint secretary, claims that selectors have been summoned to Tiwary’s residence and crew lists have been modified. “Before the Vijay Hazare tournament, Tiwary called the selectors to his home and replaced seven players. When I refused to sign, he ensured that I was out of BCA. This year for every format there was a new coach,” he stated.

Arvind alleges that Ranjan and Tarun Kumar have been ousted as a result of coaches have been requested to play gamers who had paid cash and that those that disagreed have been eliminated.

Tiwary justifies the jumbo listing of gamers. “The humongous population of Bihar needs representation. I had asked the coach and captain about the many changes in the final Ranji game. I was told since we were out of contention, we tried several players,” he stated.

The allegation of sexual harassment towards Tiwary is linked to the BCA’s proposed T20 league and the arrest final 12 months of the president of Gurgaon-based Secure Corporate Management, Ashutosh Bora, and his sister Chitra, in an alleged “cash for selection” rip-off. Chitra, out on bail, has alleged that Tiwary molested her at a five-star resort in New Delhi.

Asked concerning the FIR, Tiwary stated: “They are still allegations, nothing has been proved yet… I never entertained them. I am innocent.” When contacted, a senior officer of Delhi Police stated: “Tiwary was booked under sections of sexual assault. No arrest has been made so far in the case. We are investigating the matter.”

Last 12 months, the BCCI needed to intervene within the BCA’s choice issues after a turf warfare between Tiwary and a insurgent group led by former MLA and state BJP spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel. The Board had additionally pulled up BCA for internet hosting the inaugural Bihar Cricket League (BCL) with out its permission.