TNCA Annual Day Slips in recognition

It is almost a month since the annual day event of the TNCA, one that this writer attended. The timing of this story follows the selection of the TN Ranji squad this week and the exclusion of left arm spinner M Siddharth. It is a bit odd and yet a bold call that the cricketer who on November 5 bagged the award for the most consistent performance in Ranji cricket has been dropped for the new Ranji season. This section had featured a story on the first phase of the first division league this year (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/11/tnca-first-division-league-2022-23.html) and  how another left arm spinner Ajith Ram who took over 40 wickets in that first phase, far and above any other bowler staked claim with his outstanding performance with Ajith Ram's selection being a meritorious one coming on the back of a strong show. From that point, current performance and top form in the first division has been recognized. At the same time, a cricketer who has just received the most consistent performer award in Ranji cricket played earlier this year not figuring in the squad at the start of the season comes as a surprise. But Ajith Ram's selection at the expense of Siddharth is quite a bold call on the part of the Selectors taking the new league season's performance ahead of last year's Ranji performances.

Chairman of Selectors S Vasudevan told this writer that Siddharth has done well in white ball cricket while Ajith Ram has done well in red ball taking lot of wickets in League and also against Bangladesh and hence the committee preferred Ajith Ram "Siddharth is in the scheme of things and he will certainly be considered."

This section had also showcased the performance of R Kavin in the first phase of the league season and his performance too has been recognised by the selection committee with him being inducted into the Ranji squad. BCCI match referee DJ Gokulakrishnan is the mentor at Grand Slam for whom Kavin starred in the first phase. He had told this writer in September that by batting for over 130overs, Kavin had shown that he has got unperturbed temperament "He has performed consistently for us and has stood out along with Sai Sudarshan amongst the batsmen in this phase in first division."

Opener Kaushik Gandhi's exclusion from all three formats may signal the end of his time with TN and he may have to explore professional engagements with other states if he wants to prolong his first class career.

At the annual day function last month, TNCA seemed to have missed recording and recognising two significant developments in the year. Following the appointment of TN batting great S Sharath (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2020/12/sharath-s-tn-crickets-atg.html) as the chairman of the India U 19 selection committee, the team won the U19 World Cup, one that included Manav Parekh (who incidentally also bagged collegiate cricketer of the year award and the promising U19 city cricketer at the annual day function). 

Former South Zone middle order batsman JR Madanagopal (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2021/05/jr-madanagopal-ipl-umpire-2021-and.html became an international umpire in the season goneby. Madan is only the third umpire in the last three decades  to ascend to the international level from TN after S Venkataraghavan and S Ravi.

It would have fitting for the two of them to have been honoured on the occasion of the annual day for both of their achievements were proud moments for the TNCA and it would have been nice to showcase their achievements in front of the new BCCI President Roger Binny but somehow the achievements of these two seemed to have slipped the attention of the TNCA.

It is hoped that the new committee under Ashok Sigamani (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2022/11/ashok-sigamani-tnca-president.html) will ensure that the achievements that make TNCA proud are recorded and recognised officially. It is also hoped that these two officials will be  honoured sometime during the course of this season by this new committee at a separate event for their achievements in the recent past.