Thaindian News

Panaji, Dec 7 (IANS) Former Ranji player and coach of Goa’s under-19 cricket team Avinash Aware has complained that Goa Cricket Association (GCA) officials are interfering in the selection of the team.

Aware, in a letter to GCA Dec 4, has said that officials (without naming them) including the secretary, were openly interfering with the selection process, including asking prospective players not to report to the U-19 selection camp held last month.

“Malik Shirur (one of the 20 prospective U-19 players) was told by xyz official not to join the camp… why? What are the exact reason(s). Later on secretary asked me to include him in the camp, reason unknown,” Aware has written in his e-mail to the GCA from his ID avi_aware@yahoo.com.

IANS has a facsimile of the e-mail.

Aware, a level 2 coach, cites eight more instances while making his case against interference by the GCA authorities in the selection process.

“Snehal Kauthankar was part of U-19 team. Without informing the coach he joined the camp, why? He was part of U-19 till he was included in the U-16 team from the last two years,” said Aware, a former Ranji Trophy player for Goa from 1999 to 2005.

Lambasting the GCA, Aware further said that there was no breakfast provided to the players attending the camp and that the stipulated Rs.75 allowance which players were entitled to had not been paid to any of the 20 players.

When contacted for his comments GCA secretary Prasad Fatarpekar said that he was in receipt of the e-mail.

“I have asked my joint secretary to verify what Aware has said in his e-mail. I will be in a position to tell you more soon,” Fatarpekar said, refusing to comment further.

GCA president Dayanand Narvekar was last month accused by a former Ranji player, of ‘pitch fixing’ a Ranji match to favour his son Ganeshraj, who was in the playing eleven. Narvekar, a former Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) vice president, has however denied the allegations.