The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : This `son rise' eclipses merit `Son stroke' hits Hyderabad cricket

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 16, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

This `son rise' eclipses merit `Son stroke' hits Hyderabad cricket

V.V. Subrahmanyam

When it comes to picking the team on sheer merit; some of the more deserving candidates get the kick

HYDERABAD: Even before summer has arrived, Hyderabad cricket is suffering from a peculiar `son stroke'. Certainly, it's not a crime to see one's son play cricket at any level. But, what happens is when it comes to picking the team on sheer merit; some of the more deserving get the kick.

Hyderabad Cricket Association administrators are helpless in handling this syndrome, because their own wards benefit in selection of teams from different age groups till the Ranji squad.

`Exalted list'

Take a look at such an `exalted list' (with names of sons in brackets). N. Shivlal Yadav, secretary of HCA (N. Arjun Yadav, Hyderabad captain), Vijay Mohan Raj, chairman of senior selection committee (Daanish Raj), Faiyaz Baig, member, senior selection committee (Farzan Baig), Vijay Paul, member of selection committee (Aaron Paul), Rajesh Yadav, Hyderabad Ranji coach (Yuvraj Yadav), Prakash Chand Jain, an influential official of HCA (Surat Jain), Jaggulal (J. Anshul - though he did not play this season), Prakash, another HCA regular (Mudiraj).

There are many more in `elite' club. Nothing wrong if they happen to be wards of the men who matter in Hyderabad cricket except that questions are asked when their performances get really bad. "Can Shivlal honestly ask selectors to show the desired integrity in picking players without favouritism?" asks a former Ranji player.

For none of these `sons' had any stand-out performance this season to merit special treatment to make their selection a mere formality as Hyderabad cricket has hit a new low this season.

Knocked out

None of the Hyderabad teams qualified for the knockout phase. Worse, Hyderabad suffered a fourth-straight defeat (the last one without Arjun Yadav, some solace for Shivlal) in the on-going South Zone K. S. Subbaiah Pillai Trophy tournament even as selectors openly admit they have little say in deciding the playing 11.

How can one explain 23 players representing under-13 team in five matches, another 23 in under-17 matches this season? Two `privileged' players were reportedly sent by flight to Delhi only to watch the game and not to play!

Whims and fancies

Team sources allege that coaches, act on their own whims and fancies. There have been instances when a specialist batsman was sent at No. 9 and a specialist bowler was never given a chance to roll his arm if they don't belong to their `camps'.

HCA, in fact, has become a rehabilitation centre for those who had taken VRS from their respective organisations to make easy money.

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