PCA unconstitutional as per Lodha panel reforms: Ex-cricketers

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 23

Former international and first-class cricketers of Punjab have held Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), Mohali, ‘unconstitutional’ according to the recommendations of Justice Lodha Committee.

Former Punjab cricketers, including ace spinner Bishen Singh Bedi and Bhupinder Singh Senior, have formed a Punjab Cricket Players Association (PCPA).

Addressing a press conference here today on behalf of the PCPA, they questioned the PCA’s decision to set up a new stadium at Mullanpur. They said as per the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee, no contract above Rs 25 lakh could be floated without the approval of cricket administrators. In this case, the PCA had approved a tender of about Rs 150 crore for the stadium being built at a total cost of nearly Rs 300 crore.

Bishen Singh Bedi said there were 22 districts in the state and the PCA was setting up a second stadium in the same district, Mohali, which already had an international stadium. He reminded that a few years ago, the PCA had rejected the demand of elevating Amritsar’s cricket stadium to international level on the premise that one international stadium at Mohali was enough as limited number of matches were allotted to Punjab.

He said Punjab had 22 districts out of which not more than six districts had proper cricket stadiums. On the other hand, the PCA was keeping Rs 220 crore in FDRs.

As per the orders of the Supreme Court, dated October 22, 2016, and recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee, the cricket associations should be run by cricketers whereas top functionaries of the PCA were from non-cricket background. “They always cite their association with cricket administration as their love for promotion of the game,” Bedi said. However, the reality is contradictory as they work for their own promotion, he alleged.

Bhupinder Singh Senior said former Punjab cricketers were facing discrimination and injustice from non-cricketers. Punjab Ranji Trophy players should get PCA membership as per the orders of the apex court. The demand of names of life members and other cricketers to be put on PCA website had not yet been conceded. Also, they had demanded that all transactions made in the past five years by the PCA be uploaded on PCA website to bring in transparency in the organisation, which had also gone unattended, he added.

Former Punjab Ranji player Rakesh Handa said PCPA was formed in view of the proxy control of disqualified former members of the PCA. Men and women who represented the state at any level in cricket, be it umpires, coaches or support staff, who are eligible to become members in terms of Justice Lodha Committe recommendations, shall be eligible to become members of the PCPA, Handa added.

The PCPA demanded that the ad hoc committee should be disbanded and representatives from PCPA should be called for formation of committee. They demanded that no player or official should be debarred from receiving pension without due process of law.