Date:17/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/17/stories/2008051755491800.htm

Sport - Cricket

Yadav to focus on work at stadium

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: N. Shivlal Yadav, secretary of the Hyderabad Cricket Association, will be contesting next month’s elections but told the media here on Friday that he would stay away from cricketing matters to focus on completing unfinished work at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium and other administrative matters.

It may be recalled that Yadav had hinted a couple of weeks ago that he would not seek re-election for a third term of four years due to family reasons.

The former national selector said he would not stay in office even for a single day once the job of completing the stadium was accomplished.

“The Annual General Body meeting is scheduled on June 8 and every effort is being made to see that there would be no contests,” Yadav said. “We hope there will no elections and only selections. This is in the interest of the sport.”

He also made it clear that former HCA secretary P.R. Man Singh was also with him in this initiative.

The HCA secretary said cricketing matters would be taken care off by former Ranji star M.V. Sridhar, Arshad Ayub and others henceforth.

“We are grateful to the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority for allotting 15 acres of land at Jawaharnagar in the City on lease. We will soon come up with a facility for cricket there,” Yadav said.

Arshad Ayub, who had contested against Yadav’s group in the last elections, also spoke to the media alongside Yadav.

He said a cricket development committee would be formed soon to address some of the problems that had cropped up over the last few years. “For instance, the affiliated Clubs are finding it extremely difficult, in view of increasing costs. So, instead of giving financial assistance, we prefer to supplement the efforts, say, by taking up the expenditure in setting up nets or buying kits…or improving facilities. In a way, the HCA would provide grants in kind and not in cash,” he explained.

To a query, Ayub said efforts would henceforth be taken to ensure that there would never be even a 10-day gap during the major league championships and that all age-group competitions would be closely monitored.