1983 ODI World Cup winner Kirti Azad has made some serious accusations against the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Azad, who played 95 Ranji Trophy matches for Delhi, has alleged that the DDCA under the current President, Rohan Jaitely, is in a dire state. The former Indian cricketer talked about improving the state of cricket in Delhi with the DDCA elections approaching (December 13 to 15).
“This is the place where I came to play for the first time for my school and for getting selected. A lot of emotions are attached to this stadium, and when I see the corruption here, where bribes are taken for selection, children of directors get spots ahead of talented youngsters (it hurts me),” Azad said in a YouTube video.
Rohan Jaitley, the next BCCI Secretary
Azad will contest Rohan Jaitley, who has been the DDCA President since October 2020. For the unaware, Rohan is being touted as the next Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, expected to take over Jay Shah when his tenure ends on November 31.
DDCA’s issues & Jaitley’s work
The DDCA has been a mess for a long while, with former members and office bearers being removed by the high court and several players changing states alleging mistreatment. But under Rohan, it’s found slight stability. Recently, the Arun Jaitely Stadium was refurbished for the ODI World Cup 2023, and mere months ago, the inaugural Delhi Premier League (DPL) was launched.
Azad vows to change Cricket in Delhi
But despite some progress, Azad feels the DDCA is the worst-run club in India. He claims cricket is being disrespectful by how the DDCA is running things and hopes he emerges victorious on December 16, when the results of the DDCA election come out.
“I have been to several clubs around the country but I never saw a worse scenario than this club. Cricket is like a religion in this country and the people who come here and vote make candidates win… so this place needs a lot of change. I request the DDCA members to support me. Our team is new and has no allegations (of wrongdoing)… everyone are professionals in their field. They are the people who want to improve the standard of cricket as well as the club.”
