Services disqualified from Ranji Trophy after skipping Srinagar match

Services were on Tuesday banned from this year's Ranji Trophy cricket season for skipping a match against Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar citing security reasons. The decision came soon after the state body's angry outburst against the last-minute pull-out.

Services forfeited the Plate Division match at the Sher-E-Kashmir stadium, hosting a Ranji game after a gap of five years, leaving the J&K Cricket Association chief Farooq Abdullah livid.

Abdullah threatened to take up the matter with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, saying Services had negated the Government of India's positive assessment of the state's security situation.

Aware of the sensitivity of the matter, the BCCI promptly disqualified Services from this year's Ranji Trophy and said further action would be decided at its next working committee meeting.

"The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) cricket team was scheduled to play a Ranji Trophy game against Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) at Srinagar from November 3 to November 6 2009.

"However, the SSCB forfeited the match, having expressed its inability to send its cricket team to Srinagar. The SSCB has therefore been disqualified from participating in the 2009-10 edition of the Ranji Trophy, in accordance with the rules of the BCCI pertaining to Domestic Tournaments," BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.

"Services is saying Kashmir is not normal. To hell with them for that...they want us to burn all the time so that they can remain our masters," a livid Abdullah said.

"It was only few days ago, Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi addressed people in Anantnag without bullet-proof glass which was a positive signal to all that the situation in Kashmir is normal," he added.

"The wicket, outfield, pavilion and other facilities are world class. The turf and outfield has been approved by BCCI officials who had been visiting here for reviewing progress of work," he said.

"Since the security forces were removed from the stadium two years ago, the stadium was under renovation. For checking the newly-laid turf ahead of Ranji trophy match, the JKCA last month allowed matches of school national tournament on it. The wicket played well and helped both batsmen as well as bowlers," he added.

The JKCA had been in the news just a few weeks ago when an under-22 player Pervez Rasool was detained in Bangalore Chinnasawmy stadium after bomb detectors allegedly pointed towards his kit bag.

He was released after being questioned by the police and JKCA had sought an apology from the Karnataka State Cricket Association for the incident.