Gopal Sharma ousted from UPCA selection committee

Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association(UPCA) has undergone major alterations in the selection panel as former India off-spinner Gopal Sharma and Ranji stalwart Shashikant Khandekar were shown the door in the Dehradun meet on Sunday.

In the meeting chaired by UPCA secretary Rajeev Shukla, many senior and junior officials were deposed as coaches and manages of the UP Under-25, U-19 and U-14 teams were also replaced. According to UPCA sources, senior selection committee chief Sharma and junior selection committee chief Khandekar were charged of corruption by some players, who alleged that the selectors took money to fill seats but later the charges were dismissed due to lack of evidence. The new UPCA directives will allow the new selection committee appointees to enjoy an annual salary of two-and-a-half lakh to fifty thousand rupees depending on their posts, a UPCA official told PTI Bhasha. The association has formed ten different committees, of which former UP spinner Rajendra Singh Hans is appointed chairman of the senior selection committee with four former cricketers` under him. State batting coach Rizwan Shamshad has been appointed chairman of the junior selection committee with four former Ranji cricketers` assisting him in the job. UP batsman Ratnesh Mishra will coach the U-25 team with Rohit Prakash as the manager. Musi Raza will coach the U-19 team with Manoj Singh as manager. The U-14 team will be coached by Kapil Pandey with Arvind Solanki as the manager. The womens cricket has also undergone an overhaul with Rita De appointed as the chairperson of the selection committee with Manju Sharma heading the junior committee. Hemlata will coach the senior women`s UP team while Archana Mishra will coach the junior side. THe UPCA has also appointed a new media manager in Ram Gopal Sharma with former manager A Khan Talib charged for distributing passes by taking money during the last international game hosted by Green Park.