No end to Rajasthan team's woes off the field

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the Rajasthan team arrived at Thiruvananthapuram for their Ranji Trophy Group B away match with Kerala, the first thing the management did was to seek the support of the host association to find a masseur for the squad.

In a sport like cricket where every need of the players is well taken care of, this request seemed to be strange. Cricket, after all, is a rich sport with fat paychecks and cosy environs. Normally teams have masseurs and video analysts accompanying them. But for Rajasthan, having a travelling masseur is a luxury, forget about the video analyst.

For the last two seasons, the team has been playing under the banner of Team Rajasthan as the BCCI had suspended Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) in 2014 for electing Lalit Modi, the former IPL commissioner who was suspended on various charges, including financial irregularities, as its chief.  

Modi had recently announced his exile from cricket administration, but the woes of Rajasthan players are far from over. An ad-hoc committee appointed by BCCI took over from RCA and are managing the players’ activities for the last couple of seasons.

However, bereft of a fully functional association, the players are feeling the heat as they are at sea over whom to contact about their requirements. “We have a masseur back home. But we are not in a position to take him with us because of the issues in the association. So we seek the help of host associations,” said Vijender Yadav, manager of the side.

As per insiders, players have to spend from their pockets if they want to buy special fruits or medicine, as the existing set up has doesn’t give cash in advance. “If you want to buy banana, or coconut water, you have to buy it on your own. If you can manage to get GST-included bills, then there is a provision for reimbursement. But that takes time,” a source told Express. The boarding and lodging, however, is being taken care of by the BCCI.

The stalemate has even affected the quality of Rajasthan’s cricket. The 2011 and 2012 Ranji Trophy champions have lost their verve in the din created by the tussle between RCA and BCCI.

Without anyone to oversee the day-to-day activities, cricket suffered a big grassroot setback. Last year the inter-district tournament wasn’t held. Many events went dormant, making team selection difficult. Naturally, new players rarely emerged.

“We face issues because we have to take players on the basis of last year’s performance. For the last four years, there have been no state championships,” revealed Sanjay Vyas, one of the three selectors appointed by Jaipur High Court. Earlier this season, there were talks of some of the senior India players expressing their willingness to play for Rajasthan. Even Gautam Gambhir’s name was rumoured, but without an association, the deal went unbrokered.

“The players haven’t gelled well,” said India discard Pankaj Singh, who is leading Rajasthan. “They got only 14 days for the pre-season camp. What can we do with those 14 days?”

shan.as@newindianexpress.com