Junior chief selector Ashu Dani to quit after being allowed to bluff Delhi cricket

Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA)’s two top cricketing officials were involved in serious controversy forcing one of them being asked to resign on Tuesday evening.

Ashu Dani, a former cricketer the Chairman of junior selection committee, and Surender Khanna (often misspelt as Surinder Khanna), a former India international and member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), were embroiled in a controversy in Kashmir.

Dani has been asked to hand his resignation by late Tuesday.

According to media reports, both were part of the Indian Heaven Premier League (IHPL), a cricket tournament in Srinagar that shut down midway following dispute over payments.

The league, featuring eight teams, involved top cricketers like Chris Gayle, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder and Thisara Perera but had to be stopped following management’s failure to pay dues.

The league was held under the aegis of Yuva Society of which both Khanna and Dani were shown as members. The website of the group had names of the two uploaded till Monday evening but have been removed on Tuesday. Khanna, meanwhile, has denied any association with the society and said that his name was put up without his knowledge and he was invited only as a former India cricketer.

An England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) coach Mel Juniper, who was umpiring in the league, spoke to the media and said the participants were not allowed to leave the Radisson Collection Hotel in Srinagar because of “the management’s failure to pay the bills”.

According to media reports, Dani was the President of IHPL.

Immediately after the expose and left red-faced, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) got involved in fire-fighting mode issuing press release that bans DDCA registered players and staff from indulging in any activity not related to DDCA.

“This is to bring to the kind attention of all stake holders including players, coaches, support staff and match officials that during their engagement with the DDCA, they are required to refrain from association with or participation in any unapproved, unauthorised, or unrecognised leagues, matches or tournaments, whether being held within the state or elsewhere. The players, coaches, support staff and match officials are expected to disclose any such relationship or possible conflict of interest immediately and shall ensure that no such conflict persist or subsist and, shall cease immediately,” said the statement.

“Needless to say that in case any such unauthorised association, conduct or possible conflict comes to the notice of the DDCA, appropriate action shall be taken against the individual.”

Some sections of the media were also activated into carrying report on how DDCA has acted promptly in taking action. Dani has been asked to resign and later it was revealed that he was sacked.

However, all this whitewashing does not cover the incompetence of the association.

The association was guilty of not signing a contract with those it appointed, asking them to refrain from taking part in any activity with another state body or private entity.

The DDCA will now have to bring in contracts at the time of appointments asking the players and staff to keep away from non-DDCA cricketing activities during the season.

What was even more shocking that Dani was not there even as the under-19 camp was underway in Delhi as he was busy in Srinagar. There are allegations that he took the selection meeting online.

No one in the DDCA took notice of his absence even though it was conspicuous.

A DDCA member sent out a note stating, “Now it is evident why the Delhi U-19 team performed so poorly – the chairman himself, Ashu Dani, was away in Kashmir for nearly 20 days instead of team trials and selections.”

Surender Khanna has, however, denied any involvement with the League.

Tags : Cricket, Ashu Dani, IHPL, Indian Heaven Premier League, DDCA, Surinder Khanna, Chris Gayle, Srinagar, Surender Khanna