The selection controversies which have plagued Delhi's junior cricket system for years, reared its ugly head once again after a current India U-19 player was excluded from the state U-19 team scheduled to play Vinoo Mankad Trophy.
The player in question is a right-arm medium pacer Aayush Singh, who recently was a part of India 'B' U-19 team that took part in a Quadrangular series in Lucknow. On Friday, when Delhi's junior selection committee picked the squad for Vinoo Mankad Trophy (National U-19 One-Day tournament), Aayush's name was not in the 15-member team led by Mayank Rawat.
Even more inexplicable was his omission from the 13 member standby list — highest in recent years as it's normally restricted to between four to six players.
When a source close to junior selection committee was contacted, he gave a bizarre explanation, “Yes, the selectors have not picked Aayush as neither of the trio of Siddharth Verma, Mayank Tehlan and Chetan Sharma (not India international) have seen this boy bowl. Yes, he has been a part of the India B squad but Delhi selectors have not seen him.”
When further probed how come this boy wasn't even good enough to be in the standby list, the official said, “I think he took six wickets in four matches for Delhi in the National U-16 (day matches). Now, what did junior national selectors saw in him, only they know.”
On the other hand, according to BCCI's GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim, the India U-19 'B' team comprised players who are currently aged between 16 and 17 and will be eligible for the 2020 ICC U-19 World Cup.
For the record, Aayush was picked in the India B (U-19) squad by the selection committee comprising former India internationals Debasish Mohanty, Ashish Kapoor, Gyanendra Pandey along with domestic veterans Rakesh Parikh and Amit Sharma.