J&K state selector resigns because of Irfan Pathan!

The 33-year-old Pathan was recently appointed by Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) as the player-cum-mentor of its senior stateside for the 2018-19 season

Veteran Indian speedster Irfan Pathan’s appointment as player-cum-mentor of Jammu and Kashmir Ranji team seems to have started creating problems for the officials. Recently, one of the four selection committee members of JKCA put down his papers citing ‘over interference’ of the Indian pacer in the selection process.

Dhruv Mahajan, the JKCA official who resigned and the former captain of the state Ranji team, said, “I have tendered my resignation. Pathan has been doing a lot of interference in the team selection process which is in violation of the constitution.”

Mahajan said he had submitted his resignation to the JKCA Chief Executive Officer Aashiq Bukhari, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Parvez Qaiser, chief selector, JKCA.

“I will not let anybody come into my domain. My responsibility is to select the players and we are answerable for the selection process. The selection committee comprises of four members – two each from Jammu and Kashmir regions and one of them is the chief selector,” he said.

Mahajan, who played 48 Ranji Trophy matches and 37 List A matches, said he has a lot of respect for Pathan who was appointed as a player-cum-mentor of the team.

“He should concentrate on his job and not make unnecessary interferences in the job of others. The BCCI constitution has made it amply clear that an individual cannot hold more than two posts and player is also considered as a post,” the former all-rounder said.

“Selection committee is there to select the team and player cum mentor is there to play and mentor the team. He has not played a single match since his appointment,” he added.

The 33-year-old Pathan was recently appointed by Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) as the player-cum-mentor of its senior stateside for the 2018-19 season. After his appointment in March, Pathan held separate talent hunt camps for young cricketers in Kashmir in June and in Jammu in July.