JAMMU, MAY 27: Ajay Jadeja's registration with the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association last year and his assurance to represent J&K in next Ranji session and join state players in practice sessions, which had been received enthusiastically by the state cricketers has proved to be a damp squib. J&K players allege that Jadeja used the State cricketing body as a pad to check efforts from some quarters to stall his entry into the Indian team.If one goes by his busy schedule abroad with the Indian team in view of the forthcoming Asia cup and other international meets, he will surely not be available for the J&K in the near future.Ironically, the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) had come to the rescue of Jadeja when he had snapped his ties with the Haryana Cricket Association (HCA) late last year following his differences with some office bearers. During the Board of Control of Cricket India (BCCI) meeting held at Baroda last December, a question was raised whether he was eligibile to represent India due to his non-registration with any of the State cricket association in India.Under rules, a player cannot represent India unless he is registered with a state cricket association in the country. It was under those circumstances, when Jadeja's ouster from the Indian cricket team was imminent, that he approached the JKCA for his registration which in turn had sought his assurance to represent J&K in the next Ranji trophy session and join the state players in practice session.The JKCA had obviously decided to register Jadeja with it with the hope that it will be a boon besides a morale booster for the state cricketers, helping them improve their standard after playing with Jedeja. The state cricketers too had welcomed the step, a step which they are ruing now.Soon after registering Jadeja with JKCA, president Ajatshatru Singh, who is also the Information and Transport Minister in J&K, had told The J&K NEWSLINE in an exclusive interview that Jadeja will be joining the state cricketers during practice sessions. He had said that it was also mandatory for him to play for the state in Ranji.But Jadeja's busy schedule throughout the year in view of the international cricket has white-washed all hopes of J&K cricketers who were hoping and waiting eagerly to play with him.Meanwhile, the state Ranji players besides other cricket players are sore with JKCA for not holding inter-club or any other tournaments which are a must for improvement of the standard of their game.Talking on the conditions of anonymity, a senior state Ranji trophy player expressed his concern over non-holding of local competitions by the state's premier cricket body. He said that it was not only this year, but no local activity was organised even last year before Ranji tournament. However, despite all that J&K had won four matches beating some strong teams including Delhi, Haryana and Services which was for the first time in the history of J&K cricket.Vijay Sabhawaral, a senior cricketer, said that it was after a long gap when the JKCA had organised inter-club tournament in 1998 shortly before the state hosted Ranji matches. ``But it seems that after 1998 local tournament, JKCA had forget about its responsibility which is likely to affect the performance of the state team in future,'' he added.
