Jaipur: With their cricketing future in a mess due to state body being involved in a legal wrangle, a desparate Rajasthan pacer Pankaj Singh along with the entire Ranji team appealed to all concerned stakeholders to sort out the issues which allow them to earn their livelihood.
With courts due to hear RCA related writ petitions on September 11th and 14th, Pankaj, who had played a couple of Test matches for India along with other cricketers including all age-groups want the concerned people to end the deadlock with less than a month left for Ranji Trophy to start.
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"We appeal to all concern, the BCCI, RCA and especially the courts that please find a solution to our plight as soon as possible. State cricket and our future is in danger and it would be an irreparable loss," warned Pankaj, who himself is in the last leg of what has been an impressive domestic career.
RCA which is under suspension after it elected former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi as president in 2013 has been under locks after Pathan group staged a coup and claimed to remove Modi and other top officials.
The High court ordered locking of the RCA and later had appointed a coordinator and selection committee to ensure participation of state cricketers in the previous domestic season.
"I believe that the honourable High Court did a wonderful job and made committees to ensure our participation in the previous season. Though a few people might have some reservations regarding the committees but I believe those people did a wonderful job.
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"I feel, now time is running out and we have a lot of things to do so please find solution to the deadlock so that we are able to play in the coming season. At least, there should be cricket so that state does not suffer a big loss. I appeal to the courts to do what they did a year before," said Pankaj, who shared the dias with senior cricketers like Vineet Saxena, Rohit Jhalani and Aniket Choudhary.
When asked why they did not raise their voices earlier so that they could have more time in hand, Pankaj replied that since the matter is sub-judice and also developments in BCCI made them believe that a solution was on the anvil.
"There are quite a number of applications and matters before the courts and there were hearings quite frequently. The officials made us believe that solution was in sight but it never came.
"Apart from this BCCI too formed a committee and had few meeting in which we believed our problem would be addressed. So it was of no use trying at our level and invite the wrath of the officials because our initiative would have been treated a rebellious move," said Pankaj, who has 345 wickets from 88 first-class matches.
When asked that why the players are not urging the State Government and raising voice against Sports Act prevailing in Rajasthan which has led to so many complications Pankaj replied that nothing is going to be done in this regard our priority is to play cricket.
"We have just a few days in hand to prepare and we know that neither the Government is going to do something nor the Act can be amended in hurry. We feel cricket is the priority and a solution should be found to let us play first," he said.
It might be recalled that some cricketers have a filed an application in High Court here to ensure their participation in domestic season and hearing is due on September 11th.
Notices were issued to concerned parties in another hearing at Jodhpur HC on 7th in another case. The matter of No Confidence motion against Lalit Modi is also due to heard on 14th September and the domestic cricket season is about start soon with age group matches.
