Boy banned from cricket tourney moves court

Chennai, Dec 6 (UNI) A petition was today moved in Madras High Court challenging the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) banning a 14- year-old school boy from playing cricket in its tournaments.

Ms Justice K Suguna, before whom the petition of the standard 10 boy D Rohit, represented by his grandfather N Balasubramanian, came up for hearing, ordered notice returnable by two weeks to TNCA, Pondicherry State Sports Council, Cricket Association of Pondicherry and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The boy said he was a budding cricketer with 12 centuries to his name. He had played extremely well in various tournaments including under 15. He had represented his school, club, Chennai City under 13 for TNCA and had captained Pondicherry state cricket team. While so, The TNCA had issued a letter dated July 14, 2006 to him, stating he was not eligible to play in its tournaments in view of provisions of Rule (10) of Chapter IV of Rules governing TNCA league tournaments.

TNCA also ordered Bunts Cricket Club, in which he was registered as a player, not to include him in the team to play league matches.

He submitted a letter to TNCA stating he had been punished for having played an All India under 15 tournament along with seven other state teams. Out of 120 players who had played from different states, he had been targeted and banned.

It was brought to his knowledge that not mentioning the duration in the letter would mean a life ban.

When he represented Pondicherry, the rule was not in existence.

The rule under Chapter IV (Rule 10) took effect from 2006-07 onwards and he had played the tournament as Pondicherry captain in 2005-06. No rule could take effect retrospectively, he said.

The reason behind the vindictiveness of the present management of TNCA was that his father was Honorary Secretary of the Cricket Association of Pondicherry, which was fighting for freedom from TNCA, to function as an independent state with BCCI, he contended.

He sought to stay Rule 10 of Chapter IV of the Rules governing the TNCA league championship tournament for 2006-07.

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