Assam Cricket Association (ACA) to start cricket activities in September

Apex Council to take decision on Verification Committee's report

Our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI: Assam Cricket Association will resume the cricket activities from the next month. The decision was taken in the Annual General Meeting of the association at the ACA Stadium, Barsapara here on Thursday. A number of members attended the meeting through video conferencing.

Apart from the resumption of cricket activities, the meeting also discussed the report of the Verification Committee which was entrusted to conduct a verification of all accounts maintained by the previous committee from June 12, 2016 to January 12, 2019. The meeting 'empowered' the Apex Council to go through the report of the Verification Committee and take final decision.

Cricket activities in the state came to a standstill since the lockdown in March to combat COVID-19 pandemic. Recently the BCCI has issued the SOP and advised the State association to start cricket activities by adhering to all necessary COVID-19 guidelines.

President of Assam Cricket Association Romen Dutta talking to the media after the meeting said, "We have decided to start cricket activities in the State within next 15 days. Initially two camps would be held at the ACA Stadium, one for senior players and the other one for U-19 cricketers."

He added: "We have already received necessary guidelines in this regard from the BCCI. The ACA will also follow the necessary instructions of State Government at the time of organizing the camp."

All cricketers, who will attend the camp, should go through the COVID-19 test before joining the camp.

Meanwhile, a good amount of time was spent in the meeting to discuss on the report of the Verification Committee which was entrusted to conduct a verification of all accounts that were maintained by the previous committee.

Assam Cricket Association secretary Devajit Saikia today denied revealing the details of the report that was submitted by the Verification Committee earlier. In a brief reaction to the media after the meeting, Saikia said, "The Verification Committee has submitted the report to us and it was placed at the meeting. The meeting entrusted the Apex Council to go through the report and to take necessary steps in this regard within the next two-weeks."

However, a member of an affiliated unit, who attended the meeting today, on condition of anonymity, said that several anomalies were found in the handling of financial part by the previous committee. If these are found correct by the Apex Council then it will be better to deal the matter as per law.

It may be mentioned here that recently the Assam Cricket Association served a show-cause notice to its account officer Tapan Bora after anomalies were detected in maintenance of accounts of the association. Saikia said that Bora failed to maintain the accounts properly and he admitted the same. He will be released with immediate effect.

Meanwhile today's meeting also finalized the list of different selection committee. Amal Das retained as the chairman of the Senior Selection committee for the forthcoming season. The other members of the committee are: Biswajit Majumdar, Sushil Uzir, KK Baruah and Gautam Das. The list of five-member junior committee: Raj Kumar Das (Chairman), Ashok Medhi, Sumit Dutta, Sumit Ranjan Das and Mrigen Talukdar. Members of Women Selection committee are:Nazreen Ahmed (Chairman), Rita Baidya Kakati, Manju Chetia, Suchitra Singha and Nazneen Sultana Ali Ahmed.

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