Arunachal Pradesh is staring at the possibility of not taking the field against Nagaland in the opening Ranji Trophy fixture in Ahmedabad due to an ongoing legal tussle between two factions in their state association.
The association has not fielded a team in the Vinoo Mankad U-19 Trophy, which began in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The BCCI has already informed Arunachal’s opponents that the state unit may not be able to field any team until a judgement on the factional dispute is delivered by the Itanagar Bench of the Guwahati High Court.
After the recent election to the state association in which Nabam Vivek was elected president, six district associations knocked on the doors of the high court alleging irregularities in the conduct of the polls. The court heard arguments in the first week of September but the judgement has been reserved, which means there is no active state association at present.
“There is a stay order from the court and the BCCI cannot step in,” board secretary Devajit Saikia told The Indian Express. “There is no body functioning in the Arunachal Cricket Association. They could not conduct any selection camps or have any preparation for the season as no one was at the helm of affairs. So, until the court gives the clearance, we cannot do anything,” Saikia added.
While an interim order can change the status quo, there hasn’t been any update on when the judgement would arrive.
“We are not fielding teams because of the court order. The court stayed the election process and there was no interim order. We have already informed the BCCI about the ground reality,” Vivek said.
It is understood that as of now, neither faction has pushed for any urgent hearing. Vivek said their hands are tied.
“If we field a team, it would be contempt of court. So unless there is an interim order or judgement, we are not in a position to play domestic matches from age-group levels to senior cricket,” he added.
Whipping boys
Placed in the Plate League, Arunachal finished at the bottom of the table, like they did in the previous two seasons. Inducted into the mainstream based on the Lodha panel recommendations mandated by the Supreme Court, the team has struggled to bridge the gulf in standards even with the other teams in the North-East.
While fighting between two factions in a state association is nothing new, forcing the BCCI to step in and run the operations – like in the cases of Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Bihar – the board hasn’t been able to pull off a similar arrangement in Arunachal Pradesh because of the legal tangle.
“There was a request from the Bihar Cricket Association. So, BCCI appointed two committees – one for men and the junior boys and one for women – with some reputed national selectors. But with regards to Arunachal, we cannot appoint an administrator when the court is hearing the dispute. There is infighting between two factions and the high court has put a stay order in the functioning of the body which was in place. The judgement is reserved and can come any day,” Saikia remained hopeful.
The first round of the Ranji Trophy is scheduled to begin on October 11 with Arunachal scheduled to play their matches in Ahmedabad. If they forfeit the game against Nagaland, they could potentially face suspension for the rest of the season.
In case they are not able to field a team, the Arunachal players will bear the loss both on the field as well as outside, with their incomes also expected to take a severe dent.