Cricket Association of Telangana formed

With an aim to promote talented cricketers of Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh "who were not being given due importance and exposure", a new cricketing body -- Cricket Association of Telangana (CAT) -- was formed on Thursday.

"Cricket Association of Telangana is formed to promote real talented cricketers in Telangana region who are being neglected and subjected to discrimination. It is not a parallel body to any cricketing organisation...the only objective is to provide platform to talent of this region," Andhra Pradesh Minister for Civil Supplies D Sridhar Babu said after launching the new organisation.

Sridhar Babu, who is also the chairman of the CAT, alleged the two existing cricket bodies Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) and Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) were only selecting players of Andhra origin.

Only 20-30 per cent players are selected from Telangana and similarly the HCA governing body is ruled by majority of Andhras, he claimed.

CAT is going to create level-playing field for rural players, CAT's founder secretary Sunil Babu said, adding that the association will start off with a Twenty20 cricket tournament in Hyderabad in July. It will also conduct inter-district tournaments at all levels in Telangana districts.

CAT will also start a cricket academy and talent search camps in Telangana districts and will conduct all cricketing activities on par with any other cricket association in the country.