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Cuttack: The Committee of Administrator (CoA) of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked all the state cricket associations to complete elections by September 14. However after the BCCI's directive to state associations to grant membership to various cricketing clubs involved in training and shaping budding cricketers, questions are being raised if the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) will be able to conduct the elections on time.
Sources said, instead of beginning its preparations for the stipulated elections, the OCA is reportedly busy in affiliating member clubs after the fresh order by the BCCI. The OCA has formed five-member committee for identifying, scrutinising and adding clubs to the cricket association.
OCA working president Dhiren Pallai has informed that due to the affiliation process, the elections of office bearers in the cricketing body might get delayed.
While, the CoA had already certified 73-membered OCA and its constitution, 54 other clubs in the State had also applied before the BCCI for membership in OCA. It may be noted that after the new clubs are added to the OCA, the membership list could significantly change.
"The by-laws will not be changed, rather they will be amended a bit. Earlier, we had given a list of 73 members to the BCCI which has been approved. Now, if the numbers go up after the inclusion of new clubs, we will see the matter later. We are thinking to end the elections by September or October," said Pallai.
However, the sports organizers in the State are questioning as to why the OCA is so keen to add members even as the BCCI had nowhere asked the associations to do the same before the elections. Talks are doing rounds that the OCA is trying to give memberships to the clubs so that it can reap benefits during the upcoming polls.
"The election should take place at the earliest as the new body will look into the development of cricket and solve various issues of the cricketers in Odisha," said Secretary of Union Sporting Club, Pradeep Chauhan.
