DDCA did not back Jimmy, says Bedi

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi lashed out at the Delhi and District Cricket Association for failing to back former national selector Mohinder Amarnath.

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi lashed out at the Delhi and District Cricket Association for failing to back former national selector Mohinder Amarnath.

HT Image

Amarnath, who was supposed to become chairman of the national selection committee, was removed from the panel by the BCCI even before he had completed his stipulated term.

At a press conference organised to highlight the ills plaguing Delhi cricket, Bedi said, "Jimmy (Amarnath) had a glorious opportunity, but (the) DDCA didn't back him. Everyone knows his credentials and character… it is unfortunate that he did not get the support of the DDCA."

Money matters
Bedi added that Delhi cricket needed administrative overhaul. He lamented that cricketers had no say in administration and expressed concern over the way the money received from the BCCI was not being spent properly. "I got 25 wickets put up (at an academy) and it cost just Rs 2 lakh. But for the DDCA, a strip of five wickets costs about Rs 5 crore! Almost all the associations have indoor facilities. But DDCA is an exception," he added.

Bedi was at the forefront of a fight against administrative ills in the 1970s. "The officials then were angels compared to the current officials," he said.

Former India player, Kirti Azad, said that while relatives of DDCA officials had been made members, former India captain, Kapil Dev, wasn't there on the members' list.