Shillong, Oct 13: After a protest against the number of cricketers from outside the state representing Meghalaya in BCCI domestic tournaments, the Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) has formed a committee to study the matter and recommend concrete measures.
Earlier this month, the Hynniewtrep Youths Council (HYC) raised an objection to a number of senior men and U-23 men’s team players – all non-tribals – questioning whether they were genuine Meghalaya domiciles. There had also been much chatter about the selection of some of these players on social media.
In the event, the MCA dropped one of the players in question – Arpit Bhatewara – from the senior men’s team.
In a letter to the HYC, which was shared with Highland Post, the MCA said that it has constituted a three-member committee comprising its vice-president Rayonald Kharkamni, and two apex council members – Arwotki Sumer and Sengnab Momin – to probe the matter.
This committee will “study and verify all existing documents and records, investigate individual cases and recommend concrete measures.”
The MCA also told the pressure group that it has undertaken numerous measures to try and boost the sport among the local tribal population of Meghalaya, which is its “top-most priority”. These include establishing cricket grounds in each district, partnering with local schools and colleges in the districts, providing financial and technical assistance for affiliated district associations to set up academies, grants for district associations to conduct grassroots tournaments, and sponsoring courses for match officials and team support staff.
Players typically have to have been born in Meghalaya – whether tribal or non-tribal – or be permanent residents with schooling from the primary level and possessing valid documents, “including domicile/permanent residential documents of parents, like EPIC, Aadhaar, etc,” the MCA explained to the HYC. However, according to BCCI rules, players whose parents are central government employees or defence personnel posted in Meghalaya are also eligible to represent the state.
The MCA also stated that it is not by itself alone responsible for selection of players. In a paragraph that was underlined in the letter, the MCA said that at the start of the selection process, names of probables are forwarded to the association by district bodies and it is only then that the MCA calls up the nominated players for trials.
In light of the HYC protest, the MCA’s apex council has decided that district associations have “to be more proactive and not allow/register any players from outside to participate in their local league or any other tournament(s) organised by the district.”
