The infighting within the faction-ridden Delhi & District Cricket Association seems set to deprive cricket fans in the national capital of the chance to watch Virat Kohli’s men take on AB De Villiers’ South Africans. Unless of course, the Arvind Kejriwal-appointed investigation committee decides to give the fans a last-minute reprieve.
While cricket administration in Delhi has always been a quagmire of politics, things seem to have got even more sticky. Last month, a stinging report in ESPNCricinfo shed light on the state of affairs in the DDCA. The report quoted an ex-Delhi cricketer as describing the DDCA as the "Dhokha Dhadi Cricket Association". Before the start of year’s Ranji Trophy, the DDCA hit the headlines for sending three separate lists of probables, an incident that served to highlight the infighting that has wracked the organisation.
Tax evasion
Amidst all this, the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi had to prepare for the fourth and final Test of the India-South Africa Gandhi-Mandela Freedom Trophy, slated for December 3. Trouble arose in October when the Central Bureau of Investigation started a preliminary query into the DDCA on charges of tax evasion. The authorities claimed that the DDCA evaded entertainment tax dues worth over Rs. 24 crore by underpricing VIP and VVIP tickets for matches it organised from 2008 to 2012. The DDCA said it believed that it was exempted from entertainment tax in that period and claim it only owed the government Rs. 5 crore. The BCCI were not amused by this and slapped a November 17 deadline on the DDCA, warning it that the match would be shifted out of Delhi if it was unable to get its house in order.
On November 10, the Indian left-arm great Bishen Singh Bedi, along with a few other ex-cricketers, met the Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and submitted a memorandum alleging widespread corruption and financial irregularities in the DDCA. In addition, Gautam Gambhir, current captain of the Delhi Ranji team, also met the chief minister to discuss the issue and in a stinging comment, mentioned that it would be a “massive slap” to many DDCA officials who occupy top posts without doing anything for cricket if Delhi win the Ranji Trophy this year. Finally on Thursday, Kejriwal announced a two-man committee to investigate the issue with a deadline of 48 hours.
Lack of structural stability
Former cricketer Kirti Azad who was part of the delegation that met Kejriwal with Bedi, told Scroll that it would be an “unfortunate event” if Delhi did not host the Test, but alleged there was an absence of “structural stability” in the Delhi cricket administration. To illustrate the chaotic state of affairs within the DDCA, Azad mentioned that a 1,600-metre sewer line that runs under the Kotla stadium had been illegally punctured, leading to questions about the safety of the spectators.
Meanwhile, the DDCA, on its part, is scurrying to ensure that the match does not get shifted, especially as it would entail losing next year’s Twenty20 World Cup matches. Ravinder Manchanda, the treasurer of the DDCA told Scroll, “We are very optimistic that the match is on”. Officials have also sought an audience with Kejriwal to convince the Delhi government to grant an exemption from entertainment tax dues. An official statement, the Delhi government refused to comment on the fate of the upcoming Test match, stating, “The Delhi government makes it clear that the national capital should not be deprived of good and international quality cricket. At this time, the government would refrain from commenting about conjectures on the capability of the DDCA in hosting the Test match between India and South Africa next month.”
While punishing the DDCA by shifting the Test match would come as a huge blow to cricket fans in the region, who can justifiably claim that they are the ones being punished for the transgressions of the DDCA, it should serve as a wake-up call to the Delhi body. For too long now, Delhi cricket has been embroiled in one corruption allegation after another, shifting the focus away from cricket entirely. The loss of the Test match (and even the lucrative T20s) should serve as a fair warning for it to get its house in order.
While cricket administration in Delhi has always been a quagmire of politics, things seem to have got even more sticky. Last month, a stinging report in ESPNCricinfo shed light on the state of affairs in the DDCA. The report quoted an ex-Delhi cricketer as describing the DDCA as the "Dhokha Dhadi Cricket Association". Before the start of year’s Ranji Trophy, the DDCA hit the headlines for sending three separate lists of probables, an incident that served to highlight the infighting that has wracked the organisation.
Tax evasion
Amidst all this, the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi had to prepare for the fourth and final Test of the India-South Africa Gandhi-Mandela Freedom Trophy, slated for December 3. Trouble arose in October when the Central Bureau of Investigation started a preliminary query into the DDCA on charges of tax evasion. The authorities claimed that the DDCA evaded entertainment tax dues worth over Rs. 24 crore by underpricing VIP and VVIP tickets for matches it organised from 2008 to 2012. The DDCA said it believed that it was exempted from entertainment tax in that period and claim it only owed the government Rs. 5 crore. The BCCI were not amused by this and slapped a November 17 deadline on the DDCA, warning it that the match would be shifted out of Delhi if it was unable to get its house in order.
On November 10, the Indian left-arm great Bishen Singh Bedi, along with a few other ex-cricketers, met the Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal and submitted a memorandum alleging widespread corruption and financial irregularities in the DDCA. In addition, Gautam Gambhir, current captain of the Delhi Ranji team, also met the chief minister to discuss the issue and in a stinging comment, mentioned that it would be a “massive slap” to many DDCA officials who occupy top posts without doing anything for cricket if Delhi win the Ranji Trophy this year. Finally on Thursday, Kejriwal announced a two-man committee to investigate the issue with a deadline of 48 hours.
Lack of structural stability
Former cricketer Kirti Azad who was part of the delegation that met Kejriwal with Bedi, told Scroll that it would be an “unfortunate event” if Delhi did not host the Test, but alleged there was an absence of “structural stability” in the Delhi cricket administration. To illustrate the chaotic state of affairs within the DDCA, Azad mentioned that a 1,600-metre sewer line that runs under the Kotla stadium had been illegally punctured, leading to questions about the safety of the spectators.
Meanwhile, the DDCA, on its part, is scurrying to ensure that the match does not get shifted, especially as it would entail losing next year’s Twenty20 World Cup matches. Ravinder Manchanda, the treasurer of the DDCA told Scroll, “We are very optimistic that the match is on”. Officials have also sought an audience with Kejriwal to convince the Delhi government to grant an exemption from entertainment tax dues. An official statement, the Delhi government refused to comment on the fate of the upcoming Test match, stating, “The Delhi government makes it clear that the national capital should not be deprived of good and international quality cricket. At this time, the government would refrain from commenting about conjectures on the capability of the DDCA in hosting the Test match between India and South Africa next month.”
While punishing the DDCA by shifting the Test match would come as a huge blow to cricket fans in the region, who can justifiably claim that they are the ones being punished for the transgressions of the DDCA, it should serve as a wake-up call to the Delhi body. For too long now, Delhi cricket has been embroiled in one corruption allegation after another, shifting the focus away from cricket entirely. The loss of the Test match (and even the lucrative T20s) should serve as a fair warning for it to get its house in order.
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