NEW DELHI, Nov 22: Bishan Singh Bedi has announced the launching of an ex-Test Cricketers Association. ``The body acknowledges the contribution of Test cricketers to the game. The re-union of past cricketers would generate friendship, camaraderie and brotherhood and we would be able to bring out good ideas for the betterment of the game,'' said Prakash Bhandari, 63, who played three official Tests (one each against Pakistan, Nea Zealand and Australia) during 1955-56.Bedi said several former India cricketers, Kapil Dev, G R Vishwanath, Brijesh Patel, Dilip Vengsarkar, Madan Lal, Yashpal Sharma and Arun Lal had expressed their willingness to join the new association. Among those present at Bedi's press meet last night included Maninder Singh, Chetan Sharma, Gursharan Singh, Akash Lal, Rajinder Pal and a number of former Delhi cricketers and officials.Meanwhile, Bedi has once again raised the banner of revolt against the `proxy system' prevailing in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). In ascathing attack on the present set of DDCA administrators, the former India skipper called upon all cricketers to take ``a silent pledge to work together to destroy the proxy system.''Bedi, who is a candidate for the post of president of the DDCA elections to which are being held on Monday, told newsmen here last night that ``cricketers must make sacrifices so that North Zone cricket could bloom once again.''Acknowledging that he was ``fighting a losing battle'' as he had ``no proxies except my own,'' the legendary left-arm spinner accused the present administrators of destroying the game for their own personal interests. ``I have more first-class wickets than the number of proxies I can ever collect,'' he said sarcastically.``They are indulging in muscle power. People in the DDCA are showing guns and getting their boys selected in various teams, including Under-16, 19 and even Ranji Trophy,'' he lamented.
