The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) said here on Sunday that the decision not to host the two under-19 India-England ‘Tests’ was because of what it called a hectic city cricket schedule. The two ‘Tests’ were to be held here between February 13 and Feb. 24.
Speaking to Sportstar on Sunday, TNCA joint secretary R.I. Palani explained, “I was the one who signed the letter where the TNCA has expressed its inability to host the ‘Tests.’ And I signed it on Saturday. This has nothing to do with the Lodha Committee recommendations, the Supreme Court order or the meeting in Bengaluru.”
Palani, the de facto TNCA secretary after K. S. Viswanathan was disqualified by the apex court for serving more than nine years in the association, said, “It was my decision and I take the responsibility for it. We have a heavy backlog of matches because of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and the Vardah cyclone.”
“We have to conduct the TNCA first division matches, lower division games and inter-university matches. We need grounds to hold our own matches. At a time like this, it will be extremely hard for us to take the responsibility for two under-19 ‘Tests.’”
The TNPL was held between August 24 and September 18, 2016. Palani noted several first division games, in normal course, would have been conducted during that period.
Palani said, “The TNCA has never shied away from its responsibility. In July and August 2015, we hosted the two-‘Test’ series between India ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’ that was followed by the triangular one-day ‘A’ tournament involving, India, Australia and South Africa. But this time the backlog and the demand for grounds are too much.”
Comments
SHARE