Telangana cricket association applies for BCCI's associate membership

PTI

Mumbai: Citing denial of playing opportunities and sufficient representation in the Hyderabad Cricket Association, a full member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the newly formed Telangana CA has applied for associate member status from the BCCI.

"TCA is delighted with directions from the honourable High Court at Mumbai to the COA (Committee of Administrators) of BCCI directing them to consider the applications of TCA and give due opportunity of hearing the cause and take a reasoned decision within six weeks," the TCA said in a media release.

Accordingly, our application is being considered by the COA and they directed us to submit our representation by 15th May," TCAs self-designated general secretary, Dharam Guruva Reddy, told a media conference on Thursday.

TCA was formed in 2015 in the wake of the formation of the new state of Telangana after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, Reddy said.

Calling cricketers in the districts under the jurisdiction of the 70-year-old HCA outside of Hyderabad city as "orphans", Reddy felt "many Virat Kohlis and Mahendra Singh Dhonis" were waiting to be discovered from the neglected regions provided opportunities to play and showcase their wares were given.

According to Reddy, the Supreme Court judgment, based on Justice Lodha reforms, vis-a-vis the BCCI and its affiliated units has given a shot in the arm for organisations like TCA to bring about a level playing field as far as representation in cricket teams is concerned.

He claimed that only eight cricketers, including him, belonging to the 30 districts outside Hyderabad city limits in the new state have been able to make it to the HCA teams across all age groups in seven decades.

"The state government has given us a ground (the old Lal Bahadur Stadium within Hyderabad city) and some funds," said Reddy,

He informed that former India Test medium pacer Abid Ali has been training the district boys and girls along with some other ICC-qualified coaches.

"We expect a favourable decision from them (COA) which will help thousands of Telangana cricketers to see the light of day soon," he concluded.