The Delhi and District Cricket Association has initiated the process to revive cricketing culture at the historical Feroz Shah Kotla ground and honour cricketing greats for their contribution to the sport.
The DDCA administrator, Justice (retired) Vikramjit Sen has constituted an honours committee, that has finalized a 10-point programme to revive cricket culture and honor the “retired cricketers who are the quintessence of a cricketing body”.
“It is essential that Delhi & District Cricket Association recognizes and honors’ retired cricketers who are the quintessence of a cricketing body. Recognition of sportsmen and their contribution is not only just, but is a great source of inspiration for aspiring cricketers.” Justice Sen has stated in a Press release.
The five-member Honours Committee – comprising noted commentators Dr. Narottam Puri and Ravi Chaturvedi, senior journalists Neeru Bhatia and Vijay Lokapally, and Justice (retd.) Mukul Mudgal as the chairman – has recommended the following 10 initiatives to honour the legends who have graced the game and “revive the cricketing atmosphere at the DDCA”.
- DDCA will host the FIRST DDCA ANNUAL CONCLAVE on 29th November at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium. Mr. Bishan Singh Bedi has agreed to be the keynote speaker.
- The Conclave will also witness the inauguration of the BISHAN SINGH BEDI STAND and the MOHINDER AMARNATH STAND in recognition of their immense contribution to DDCA and Indian cricket.
- In order to recognize, encourage and reward the contribution that women deserve in our country and in her sports, a woman cricketer has been chosen too and it has been decided to name a gate in the name of Arjuna award winner and Padamshri awardee Anjum Chopra. Gates 3-4 will be now be renamed as ‘ANJUM CHOPRA GATE’.
- It was a matter of great concern that all these years DDCA did not have a proper hall that befits its stature and records DDCA cricketers’ contributions. On the same occasion, DDCA will also be inaugurating the renovated MAK Pataudi Hall of Fame.
- DDCA will be felicitating all the captains, who have led the DDCA team over the years.
- For men’s cricket, a benchmark of playing at least 35 Test matches shall be the criteria for DDCA to name an area (gate/stand/pavilion etc.) at Ferozeshah Kotla in their name. Accordingly, several other retired players such as Chetan Chauhan, Madan Lal, Maninder Singh, Manoj Prabhakar and others in the list should also be accorded this honour as per the criteria, in due course. To ensure that each such cricketers’/coaches’ contribution is given its due recognition and attention, DDCA shall give effect to these recommendations before an International Match/Annual Awards in the years to come.
- Cricketers like Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan should be honoured after they have retired from all forms of cricket.
- DDCA will also honour coaches Gurcharan Singh and Tarak Sinha who have been instrumental in honing the talent of so many cricketers, who have done DDCA and Indian cricket proud.
- The home team dressing room has been reinstated as the ‘RAMAN LAMBA DRESSING ROOM’ while the Visiting Team dressing room shall be named as the ‘PRAKASH BHANDARI DRESSING ROOM’. Mr. Prakash Bhandari is the first Test cricketer from Delhi.
- The process is initiated to finalise ‘DDCA Awards’ for the Delhi cricketers who have performed well during the domestic season.
Justice Sen added that “the Honours Committee and I are of the view that the cricketing atmosphere in DDCA needs to be revived and the following initiatives will hopefully contribute towards that end”.
