Jadeja paying price for being close to Kapil?

How the same man became fit enough to play in the Wills Trophy and in the Deodhar Trophy is a mystery. If he is fit to score a near hundred and agile enough to hit the stumps to run out a batsman, then what is he doing here? Shouldn’t he have been in Australia?

Forget Australia, there are people here who think he is not even eligible to play in domestic cricket. Banish Jadeja seems to be their theme. Mr Sunil Dev, the DDCA sports secretary and the convenor of the North Zone selection committee has questioned National selector Madan Lal’s authority in forcing’ manager Suresh Luthra to include Jadeja in the North team which beat West in their opening Deodhar Trophy match. Jadeja scored 93 runs in that match. The objection to his selection is on eligibility grounds.

According to Sunil Dev, Jadeja is not part of any North Zone unit hence he is not qualified to play for the zone. “That is the reason why his name was not even discussed in the selection committee when the North team was picked.”

Sunil Dev says he received complaints from the other state units on Jadeja’s inclusion and was told by the manager of the team that he “included him in the team on Madan’s behest.”

Sunil Dev has written to Luthra not to include Jadeja in North’s next match, which takes place on Saturday and has also sough an explanation from Madan Lal. He has also informed the Board secretary and the president of this unconsitutional’ act. There is every possibility of futher trouble.

It seems Jadeja is paying the price of being close to Kapil Dev. His travails began when Kapil fought his unsuccessful battle with the Haryana Cricket Association secretary, Mr Ranbir Singh, and this year Jadeja opted out’ of the Haryana team. Instead, he announced his intentions of playing for Jammu and Kashmir. The chairman of the Jammu and Kashimir Cricket Association, Mr Ajat Shatru, did announce in Jammu before the Ranji season began that Jadeja will play for their team.

Jadeja did not turn for any team in the Ranji Trophy championship. He could not have played for Jammu and Kashmir as, like all international stars’, he was busy in “national duty” — against the New Zealanders. And then came his injury.

Today, Jadeja finds himself in a situation where he can’t play in domestic tournament. At a time when questions are being raised in Australia as to why Jadeja is not part of the Indian team, the player himself does not even have a state team to play for. This is Indian cricket for you.

What wrong have I done: Madan Lal
Madan Lal was at a loss for words when asked to react to Sunil Dev’s stance on the Jadeja issue. “What wrong have I done. We selected him even in the Wills Xl team and at that time no one raised any objections. When the North team was selected there were doubts over Jadeja’s fitness. Once those doubts were cleared we put him in the Wills Xl and I thought a player of his calibre has to play in the Deodhar Trophy as well. As far as I am concerned I have acted in the best interest of the game.”

He is our player, say J &K Assn
The chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, Ajat Shatru, talking to ENS, said in Jammu: “Jadeja had given his consent to play for J&K but since the North Zone Ranji league clashed with Jadeja’s commitments with the Indian side, he could not play in any of the matches. But, he has assured us he will represent the state next season if the matches do not clash with international commitments. He is our player.”