DDCA will be addressing selection problems: Rohan Jaitley

Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley addresses a press conference after being re-elected as the DDCA president, in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Insinuations regarding the interference of administrators in the selection of players have long swirled around cricket in Delhi. This season, too, the naming of 84 probables for the Ranji Trophy and a 24-member squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy prompted scrutiny about the ways of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA).

In a media interaction on Tuesday after being re-elected as president of the DDCA, Rohan Jaitley, who defeated former India cricketer Kirti Azad for the top post, was questioned on the familiar complaints regarding selection.

“Regarding the issues related to selection that are raised, we are always there to address it. As administrators, our role in the selection process is very limited. From the time that Lodha reforms have come in, there is a Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) that oversees it. In the last two weeks, the team performed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. If there are problems, we will be addressing them,” the 35-year-old, who has been heading the state association since October 2020, said. “After the results, we have already raised questions on the size of the squad with the CAC. We will make sure checks and balances are brought about.”

Among his plans for the new term is to have a swanky clubhouse at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Making the venue accessible for differently-abled people, said Jaitley on Monday night, is another target.

“The new clubhouse will have not just facilities for members but also indoor cricketing facilities and other recreational areas. We have had a few complaints about accessibility at the stadium for differently-abled persons. We are now making every place in the stadium accessible for them. It is something that is already in the works,” he said.

Jaitley said there are also plans in the distant future for a new stadium in the national capital. “We are already in talks for a new parcel of land. If we are successful in that, we will hopefully have a new international stadium in the city. That will have exceptional arrangements and infrastructure,” he informed.

DDCA office-bearers

President: Rohan Jaitley, Vice-President: Shikha Kumar, Secretary: Ashok Sharma, Treasurer: Harish Singla, Joint Secretary: Amit Grover.