Journalism of Courage
Tucked away at the end of the lane that passes through the old Jammu University campus is the GGM Science College ground,home to the Jammu & Kashmir Ranji Trophy side. The pavilion and the picturesque surroundings make for a lovely setting. But all is not hunky-dory with the place. Here,J&Ks cricket administrators have been pre-occupied with mud-slinging,filing court cases and also face constant probes from investigation agencies.
A direct fall-out due to this has been that Ranji players from the state have not been paid their matches fees (Rs 10,000 per day) since the start of the last season.
Parvez Rasool,the J&K skipper and off-spinner,who played seven Ranji games last season,should have received a maximum of Rs 2.8 lakh from the state association by way of match fees alone,since he played seven four-day Ranji Trophy games for J&K. Add to this a domestic players share from the total revenue generated by the BCCI and a player is entitled to receive upto Rs 35,000 per match day or Rs 1,40,000 for a four-day game. Rasool,hence should have been paid Rs 9.8 lakh in all. But he has received little to nothing.
Our players havent got match fees for the last season, said Rasool. It is difficult,but we cant do much about it. That is for the association to handle. Our job is to play cricket and put in effort. We play with the constraints and give our best.
Manzoor Ahmed Wazir,the treasurer of JKCA,tried to give some answers. We had other priorities to look into with all the allegations in JKCA. Some of our documents were with the police and our accounts were frozen. But the players have not complained and have given their best on the field. We will try our best to clear all amounts that is due to the players within a week to 10 days, Wazir said.
The importance of this payment for a team like J&K cannot be undermined. What makes it harder for the majority of the cricketers in Rasools team,including him,is that they dont hold a steady job. Even I dont, said Rasool,easily the most successful player from this state,having become the first to be picked for an India tour earlier this year to Zimbabwe (he didnt play a game). A couple of our guys are employed thanks to their degree (engineering). But no one has a job based on sports quota,which is up to the government. I am a BA graduate but I dont have a job. My father is a government employee,so he takes care of the family.
Even JKCAs infrastructure has not progressed like most other small cricket associations around India. A scrutiny of the GGM grounds reveals that players have to play on rough outfields and have to make do with poorly-maintained wickets.
Rasool,having travelled the world a little more than his team-mates,believes that a small change in the infrastructure will produce big results. From whatever Ive seen outside,we are quite behind. If with so little we are doing well then imagine how much better we can get with good infrastructure and good facilities.
Lack of grounds
The biggest problem for us is grounds,which we dont have enough of. Even here at GGM,the outfield is not up to Ranji standards, he adds. Theres a nice ground in Srinagar,but you cant play there due to the weather. A player might have the talent but without facilities he cannot progress much further.
