Delhi HC raps DDCA for sacking Mudgal appointed selectors

The Delhi High Court on Monday expressed its displeasure over the sacking of former Indian players, Atul Wassan, Nikhil Chopra and Maninder Singh from the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) selectors' panel.

Atul Wassan and Nikhil Chopra were appointed by the Delhi High Court appointed-Justice Mukul Mudgal.

Earlier, Justice Mudgal had said that his directions and decisions have been overruled by the DDCA and he intends to bring the same to the court's notice.

Justice Mudgal who was appointed as an observer to oversee the functioning of the DDCA, today moved the court against the cricketing body's decision.

The selectors were sacked on Saturday due to an alleged conflict of interest between the members and the state selection panel.

The sports committee had claimed that Wassan, Chopra and Maninder have media contracts, which is in violation of the rules and regulations of the state board.

DDCA member Dinesh Sharma had said that the sacking of members is in accordance with the Supreme Court-appointed Justice R.M. Lodha Panel recommendations.

"BCCI gave us a guideline stating that if the coach or chairman is involved in any conflict of interest, they can be sacked. The order also stated that if a selector has its own cricket academy, they cannot be part of DDCA. This same issue was also pointed out in the Lodha recommendations and since BCCI has accepted 70 percent of Lodha recommendations, so we followed it," Sharma told ANI.

The sports committee has included national selector Sarandeep Singh in the panel citing that national selectors are always made chairman of state selection committee as it has been the case of Madan Lal, Kirti Azad, Chetan Chauhan to name a few.

In place of Maninder Singh, the committee named former wicketkeeper-batsman Vinay Kumar in the panel.