Reports of 'anarchy' returning to the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) started doing the rounds with the announcement of the Delhi team for the 2019-2020 Ranji Trophy season.
On Wednesday, the DDCA named the 15-member squad for the first two matches of the premier domestic tournament where Delhi will begin their campaign against Kerala.
Middle-order batsman Dhruv Shorey was appointed the captain, while southpaw Nitish Rana was made the vice-captain.
The team was selected in a meeting, which was attended by DDCA chairman of selectors Atul Wasan, Anil Bharadwaj, Vineet Jain, coach K Bhaskar Pillay, Sumit Narwal (Observer, Cricket Operations), skipper Shroey and Convenor Sanjay Bharadwaj.
However, according to a report in The Hindu on Thursday, DDCA Government nominee Rajan Tiwari has questioned the presence of Narwal in the meeting.
"He (Narwal) has no business to be there. There is no such post and all this amounts to interference with the cricket matters," Tewari told The Hindu.
The report further mentioned that Tewari was shocked to learn that a "disqualified" vice-president, Rakesh Bansal, had called for a meeting of the apex council.
"He stands disqualified on account of a case being registered with the Delhi Police. Who has given Narwal the authority to act as observer in the selection committee? The meeting is conducted by the convenor (Sanjay Bhardwaj, Director Cricket) and there is no such position called Observer, Cricket Operations," the report in The Hindu quoted Tewari as saying.
Apart from Tewari, veteran cricket official Parmod Jain has also raised doubts on the selection process, terming it "lawlessness" at the DDCA.
"The selection mess in DDCA is getting compounded by the indiscriminate interference by its executive committee. In a latest move, all sanity in selection process has been thrown to the winds, which should shock all cricketers and cricket lovers. A special position of Observer has been created, where an ex-cricketer, Sumit Narwal is overseeing the meeting. There are two selectors who played most cricket for other States and now, with an observer from Haryana, sitting and overseeing the team selection, the final rites of the selection process will be conducted," Jain told The Hindu.
"Players are finding (their) way into the team without any performances or proper trials. Today, anyone can just walk into the Delhi team," Jain added.
