The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Woes of women's willow game

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 19, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Woes of women's willow game

V. V. Subrahmanyam

Neck-deep in controversies, women's cricket in the State is looking for a turnaround. It plans to rope in ex-India captain Purnima Rau as its representative to BCCI.

Purnima Rau

HYDERABAD: Former India captain Purnima Rau is likely to be the representative of the Andhra Pradesh Women's Cricket Association (APWCA) in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

This mantle falls on her when the association is facing charges of misuse of funds in distribution of kits provided by the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), to the players who represented the State in various grades.

SAAPing move

The SAAP had ordered recovery of Rs. 4.5 lakhs from the former secretary after an enquiry committee found evidence. It has decided to stop release of funds to the women's cricket body till pending issues are resolved.

Just when everyone was expecting a turn-around in the fortunes of women's cricket in the State, thanks to current skipper Mithali Raj's achievements, the sport has been affected by controversies.

With the BCCI announcing the formal merger of women's cricket with it, it is likely that funds will start flowing into APWCA.

Many players admit on condition of anonymity that for this reason, the officials are reluctant to leave their posts. N. Shivlal Yadav, secretary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) with which the APWCA has to merge, makes it clear that he doesn't want to entertain any group at this juncture.

HCA's take

"Let them first solve their problems and then come to us for the future action," he told The Hindu . He said that as in men's cricket there should be separate bodies like Andhra and Hyderabad Cricket Association (representing Telangana districts) for better functioning.

Mr. Yadav also asserted that the in-charge of women's cricket would only be a coordinator and a member of the HCA sub-committee. Now efforts are on to rope in Purnima Rau, who has been for a long time in the wilderness for various reasons. "I don't see anything wrong in her taking over the women's cricket administration for she is better equipped to handle players' concerns," says Mr. Yadav.

The logic seems to be to depend upon a woman cricketer who represented India, to shoulder the responsibility at this crucial phase of the sport.

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