Parvez Rasool says he’s being forced to rethink about his future after feeling victimised by the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). JKCA have sent the cricketer a notice alleging he has stolen a pitch roller which he must return and failing which the association will be forced to take police action against Rasool.
Rasool, the first and only J&K cricketer to represent India at the senior level, has denied the claims and instead questioned the intentions of the JKCA officials.
“They said police action will be taken. Then in the mail, they said, do we have enough proof to nail him down. Does that mean you have come here to nail me down? Their intention looks different," Rasool told The Indian Express.
He also alleges that a JKCA official tweeted that Rasool should be given a longer rope from which the 32-year-old could be hanged. The tweet was later deleted.
“The official deleted it but I have the screenshot of it. Can anyone tell me what wrong I have done that I need to be hanged? If you have any doubts, they have my phone number, they can call me. It took mere seconds to clarify but it seems they wanted to victimize me," Rasool said.
On their part, JKCA official claim Rasool’s name is registered with them for the cricketer’s district and hence the notice was sent to him. However, the allrounder says that the letter seems to be an afterthought since he never received the first notice.
“They said that it’s (name) in their record book, if it was there in the record book then why was I not sent first notice, instead I was sent second notice. It means it was an afterthought. There must be a receipt with them? If you feel someone is not using it properly, then, you write to them and not to a cricketer who has nothing to do with this," he said.
“I have played cricket with passion and hard work. They are now forcing me to think about my future. I have come here to play cricket and not to do all this. Playing in this environment looks very tough now. If they have done this to me, imagine what they can do with smaller players” he added.
Rasool also claims that despite other tournaments being given permission to undergo, his district was the only one to be denied the go-ahead citing covid-19 restrictions.
“There were other tournaments happening, some were happening on mat wickets. A few districts later approached JKCA saying that as their tournament is already on, they should be allowed to conclude it. The JKCA agreed to it but when we asked they said no, due to the Covid-19 situation they couldn’t allow us to host the tournament. We are still waiting for approval from JKCA” he said.
Rasool wants the BCCI to intervene as his only intention is to “promote cricket" and wants everyone from the region to get a chance at “fame, money and playing (at) a higher level of cricket."
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