Not a cricketer if played with tennis ball: HC

The Court had given the order last week on a petition filed by one Jignesh Patel, who had contended that since he played tennis ball cricket, he was eligible for benefit of additional five per cent marks given to sportspersons when he applied for the job of physical training teacher in primary school.

Patel had moved the Court last year after the education department officials of Banaskantha, where he had appiled for the post of primary teacher, denied him the benifit of a sportsperson, saying that he was not a cricketer.

The education officials, citing a government resolution, claimed that there was no specification about tennis ball cricket and hence he cannot be given benefit of a

sportsperson.

Patel, who hails from Sabarkantha district has completed Certificate in Physical Education (CPEd) and had applied for the post of primary teacher in 2007.

The court had observed that if the tennis ball game is termed as cricket, people playing cricket in the streets would also become entitled to get sportsperson benefits.

“Cricket in common parlance does not include a tennis ball, which is an abrasion of the original cricket game. If marks have not been awarded for participation to the petitioner, then no illegality is seen because every form of ball and bat game cannot be called cricket”, the court said.

Tennis ball cricket is a children’s game and not a game as such recognised by the government, the court observed.