BCCI hosts tournament for India's associates and affiliates

Six teams from eastern India are participating in an Under-19 cricket tournament that will end on September 21. Selectors will witness the event and select the best XI for the Vinoo Mankad tournament in the east zone.

Venkatesh Prasad, chairman of the junior national selection committee, will witness the tournament to help select the best XI from it.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently hosting an Under-19 cricket tournament meant for India's associate and affiliate regions. Six teams are taking part in the league-cum-knock-out tournament which is being held from September 15-21, the BCCI has communicated in a release.

The six teams are Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Nagaland, Manipur, and Bihar. The teams have been divided into two groups and the top two teams will qualify for the semifinals. Junior national selection committee chairman Venkatesh Prasad and Rakesh Parikh are stationed at the stadium witnessing the match in order to select a combined associate and affiliate team. This team will further participate in the Vinoo Mankad tournament in the east zone.

All these team will have a coaching camp at the National Cricket Academy here prior to their participation in the tournaments. BCCI will appoint support staff for the teams and take care of all associated expenses.

BCCI President Anurag Thakur said, “We at the BCCI are committed towards uplifting the affiliate and associate States. In a quest to do so, we are constantly working towards providing them with the right platform, facilities, exposure and opportunity, thereby paving a way for the mainstream. This initiative marks another step in this direction and we hope that this will ensure that the right talent meets opportunity and more number of youngsters get motivated and take up cricket as a sport.”

BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said, “We have organised this tournament in Bangalore with intent to provide these budding cricketers with the best of facilities and infrastructure. We hope to host more of such tournaments to inspire youth to play cricket in the affiliate and associate states. We wish all the players luck for this tournament and all their future endeavours.”

Similar separate tournaments will be conducted to select combined teams for Under-16 and Under-19 to participate in Vijay Merchant Trophy (Under-16 East Zone) and Cooch Behar Trophy (Under-19 Plate Group).