HPCA ignoring HP players, allege veteran players

Dharamshala, Sep 13 (UNI) Alleging that the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) was ignoring cricketers from the state, three veteran Ranji players today said eight players out of 11 selected to represent state in the national games were outsiders.

Addressing a joint press conference here, Rajeev Nayar, Anil Kumar Minto and Jaswant Rai said eight players out of the 11 selected players were from outside the state and included Sharandeep Singh who had represented Punjab and Delhi, besides Sandeep Sharma from Jallander and Mohinder Bisla from Haryana.

Other players who would represent the state include Kuldeep Kumar from Delhi, Vikramjeet Malik from Haryana, Ankur Bassi, Manu Sharma and Amit from Amritsar in Punjab.

Those included in the team had been discarded by their own states, they claimed.

Addressing mediapersons on the occasion, Una District Cricket Association General Secretary Rajeev Nayar said thought he had scored 7,200 runs with 20 centuries, 35 fifties in 97 matches at an average of 48.80 runs he had been ignored.

They alleged that ignoring the claims of Ashok Thakur, Sangram Singh and Ajay Manu for leading the team, the association had given captaincy to Sharandeep Singh, who had been discarded by his own state.

Out of a total of Rs 56 lakh provided by the BCCI to the HPCA, they had already spent a sum of Rs 26 lakh on six players from outside the state, they said.

Accusing the association of trying to ignore the cricketers of the state, they said the players from outside the state had no interest in popularising the game in Himachal but are here only for getting employment and nothing more.

UNI XC-AS DP AY DB2007