HCA finds selection panel hard to trace, readies axe

All is not well with the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s Senior Selection Committee, which is likely to be disbanded after being charged with ‘dereliction of duty’ by the Apex Council.

On Thursday, chairman P. Ramesh Kumar has been served a show cause notice by HCA secretary T. Sheshnarayan, who is peeved at two of the selection panel members being incommunicado as he tried to convene meetings to pick sides.

The notice served reads thus: “Inspite of my several efforts to reach you in the last 15 days you have not responded to the phone calls nor communication. We have sent communication to you through WhatsApp and you have failed to respond to the messages also.

Even after providing umpteen number of opportunities, you have failed to correct yourself and you have insulted the office of Secretary, Apex Council and the Institution HCA by your defiance and deliberate actions.

In view of the above facts there is no other go since you have failed in your duties to respond the Secretary’s communication for selection of Senior team (for the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka) that was to be played at Shimoga. Only Mr. Arvind Kumar (Shetty) responded to our calls and he was helpless since you both avoided taking calls and coming for meeting which was convened by the Secretary as per the byelaws of the Association.

This action of yours is gross misconduct and amounts to dereliction of duty having accepted to work as Chairman of the Selection Committee, it is your bounden duty to attend Selection Committee Meetings convened by the Convenor i.e. Secretary of the Association. Your actions have brought disrepute not only to the Association but also to the duly elected Apex Council.

Therefore we are of the opinion that we have no other choice but to act in accordance with Rules, Regulations and Byelaws of the Association.”

When contacted for comment, HCA secretary T. Sheshnarayan simply said: “Indiscipline at whatever level will not be tolerated.”

The notice served to the selection committee chairman P. Ramesh Kumar by the HCA secretary reads: “Inspite of several efforts to reach you in the last 15 days you have not responded to the phone calls, text messages nor communication over WhatsApp... you have insulted the office of Secretary, Apex Council and the Institution HCA by your defiance and deliberate actions.”