Former cricketers call for DDCA disaffiliation

Bishan Singh Bedi, Madan Lal, Surender Khanna and Kirti Azad hoped the BCCI would take notice of the disrupted Special General Meeting of the DDCA on Tuesday.

Bishan Bedi on DDCA: 'I think the way forward is to disqualify the association and start afresh'.

Four stalwarts of Delhi cricket on Wednesday made a fervent appeal for disaffiliation of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).

Bishan Singh Bedi, Madan Lal, Surender Khanna and Kirti Azad hoped the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would take notice of the disrupted Special General Meeting of the DDCA on Tuesday by elements opposed to the implementation of the Lodha Committee Reforms.

“These elements have scant respect for the law. This sorry state of affairs in DDCA has been building over a period of time. The image of the DDCA has been at its lowest in the past few years. Currently, a forensic audit is on in DDCA and this incident comes on the back of the findings of Deloitte report which has made some scathing observations about several state associations,” said Bedi.

The former India captain added, “I think the way forward is to disqualify the association and start afresh by adopting the Lodha Reforms. For disrupting the AGM (on Tuesday) the guilty should be hauled up for contempt of court and their membership be cancelled.”

Madan Lal was hardly surprised by the developments at the DDCA. “For quite some time now cricket has been a low priority at the DDCA. It is two years now and the cricket activities have come to a near stop. The league is non-existent. It is time some stern steps are taken with the help of the judiciary to restore the dignity of the game. BCCI can’t ignore an affiliated unit if it is not performing the role assigned to it. Disaffiliation would be a lesson for these officials and open a new chapter in cricket administration,” said Madan Lal.

Surender Khanna, who hit a century in each innings of the final when Delhi won its maiden Ranji Trophy title in 1978-79, welcomed the idea of disaffiliation of the association. “I have seen the deterioration of the administration at the DDCA and it is appalling to see some of these officials so brazenly defy the law. Cricket has suffered hugely in Delhi during recent times and it would be a service to the game in the Capital if a new body comes into force on the strength of the Lodha Reforms,” Khanna noted.

Azad, in a message to DDCA Administrator Justice (Retd) Vikramajit Sen, said, “I wish to express my deep concern at the ugly shenanigans that were witnessed in DDCA’s EGM where chaos was engineered by some ex office bearers. I request you to recommend disaffiliation of the DDCA for acting against the grain of judicial orders.”