Why doesn’t DDCA stop the exodus of its cricketers?

Cricketers: In August 2009, then Delhi captain Virender Sehwag opened a Pandora’s Box by sensationally alleging widespread “corruption” and “manipulation” in the selection of the various Delhi teams. He also threatened to leave the city due to this. Although he stayed back after much persuasion, he eventually left Delhi for Haryana in 2015.

Arun Jaitley, president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) in 2009, successfully persuaded Sehwag to stay back with the promise that he would check malpractices. It did not happen, though. Jaitley left the DDCA in 2013, and nothing seems to have changed in the association, now headed by his son, Rohan. Neither the allegations of manipulation have subsided— though they may not come out in the open as much now—nor has the exodus of players for different states stopped.

Those appointed by the DDCA are told to remain silent, and they are happy to oblige given the handsome money on offer.

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Not just Sehwag, the list of players who have left Delhi in recent years is long and comprises some prominent names who have been the backbone of the team. They include batsman Deepak Sharma (left for Haryana in 1982), left-arm spinner Pradeep Jain (for Haryana, 1990), pacer Shakti Singh (for Himachal Pradesh, 1997-98), batsman Chetan Sharma junior (for Haryana, 2001), all-rounder Ajay Jadeja (for Rajastan, 2005), opener Aakash Chopra (for Rajasthan, 2010 11), all-rounder Rajat Bhatia (for Rajasthan, 2015-16), batsman Mithun Manhas (for J&K, 2015-16), opener Unmukt Chand (for Uttarakhand, 2019-20), batsman Nitish Rana (for Uttar Pradesh, 2022-23), pacer Kulwant Khejroliya (for Madhya Pradesh, 2022-2023), and batsman Dhruv Shorey (for Vidarbha, 2022-23), to name just a few.

So, why do players leave the DDCA, and why can’t it stop its prized possessions? It mainly happens because of a lack of communication and trust between players and administrators, who a lot of times don’t treat cricketers well.

“It also happens because of the DDCA’s selection policies, though selectors are not responsible for this. DDCA administrators and various team managements, over the years, are to blame. Nobody is interested in stopping players from leaving Delhi because players don’t matter to them,” said a senior DDCA functionary who didn’t want to be named.

One of the players, who quit Delhi a few years ago, told Patriot, “No one stops players from leaving Delhi. Instead, they [DDCA] are happy that berths would be created for players of their liking.”

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Shorey and Rana, A big loss

One of the most shocking recent exits has been that of Dhruv Shorey, the backbone of Delhi batting for long. In 2022-23, he amassed 859 runs at an outstanding average of 95.44 in seven matches—the top aggregate for Delhi in Ranji Trophy and the fourth-highest in India. But as the other players failed to live up to expectations, Delhi, as a team, finished sixth in their group and was unable to qualify for the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals. Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Shorey left for Vidarbha and continued to pile up runs there. He amassed 577 runs in 10 Ranji matches.

“Dhruv wanted to play in the shorter format of the game as well, but the selectors wanted him only for the longer format. On the face of it, the officials said they would speak to him, but he eventually left for Vidarbha,” said the source. For Vidarbha, Shorey played in all the formats.

Along with Shorey, another top batsman, Nitish Rana, left Delhi for Uttar Pradesh, where he was even appointed captain for 2023-24.

DDCA administrators only paid lip service at their departures. Even when Sehwag quit Delhi at the start of the 2015-16 season, no one wholeheartedly persuaded him to stay back.

The source said one reason why no official really persuades players to stay put is that it suits their plans. “This way, they can slip in their own players in the places left vacant by the departing players,” he said candidly.