Justice delivered! ACA bans NFR team from playing cricket for 3 years & coach awarded lifetime ban

Feb. 24: Assam Cricket Association (ACA) made several significant and crucial announcements in a press meet held today at its office at the ACA Stadium, Barsapara, Guwahati. Addressing the media, Romen Dutta, President, ACA and Secretary Devajit Saikia, took up the issue of complaint lodged by Bijendra Prasad Singh, General Secretary of Silchar DSA on the knock out match played between Jorhat and NF Railways in the J K Baruah Inter District U-19 Cricket Match at Golaghat DSA Ground. Bijendra Prasad Singh alleged that both the teams deliberately under- performed to rule out the chances of the team of Silchar to reach the grand finale of the said tournament.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev in a letter addressed to the Chief Minister of Assam sought his immediate intervention into the matter and sought justice for the Silchar team. Following the complaint, Assam Cricket Association (ACA) has also taken cognizance of the matter and ordered a hearing at ACA Stadium, Guwahati on 23 February, 2022. Bijendra Prasad Singh has also been called to be present during the hearing.

On Thursday, ACA office bearers during the press meet informed about the outcome of the enquiry conducted by them. It was also informed that Assam Cricket Association had appointed an enquiry committee to look into the match-fixing and other allegations highlighted by DSA Silchar with respect to a J.K. Barooah U-19 Cricket Tournament match that was held between NFR and Jorhat at Golaghat on February 16 and 17, 2022, and accordingly reached at a conclusion.

Romen Dutta, President, ACA stated, “The match-fixing accusation was rejected, as Silchar didn’t have any grievance/ objection till the last 2 overs of the match, and that the possibility of any kind of fixing in the last 2 overs has been ruled out. Further, two different and opposite positions were taken by the Captains of the Jorhat and NFR Teams regarding calling off the match after the 11th mandatory over, and as such, disagreement between the two teams was crystal clear.”

Further, ACA Secretary Devajit Saiki informed that as the NFR Team was found guilty of deliberately under performing in the last two overs for reasons best known to them, the NFR (U-19) team was debarred from participating in any ACA or ACA-recognised tournament for the next 3 years. It was, however, added that it was quite evident from the findings that the Jorhat team was no way responsible for the said under-performance of the NFR (U-19) Team. Also, since the role of the NFR (U-19) Team’s Coach and the Captain were found to be against the game and spirit of Cricket, Manager-cum-Coach of NFR (U-19), Satyabrata Chakraborty, has been banned from taking part in any cricket activities under ACA for life, and Captain of NFR (U-19), Ronit Akhter, has similarly been banned from any cricket activities under ACA for the next 3 years.

Moreover, Silchar DSA General Secretary Bijendra Prasad Singh also urged upon the ACA not to go for the final match of the J K Baruah Inter District U-19 Cricket Match scheduled on 20-21 February until the crucial hearing gets over on 23 February. However, that demand raised by the General Secretary of Silchar DSA was not taken into consideration by ACA and the final match was played as per schedule on 23 February, which was won by the team from Dhemaji.

Many associated with the sporting events in Silchar opined happiness at the decision taken by the ACA during the hearing, but at the same time expressed displeasure for not taking into consideration to postpone the final match. One former player said, “This is a truncated decision arrived at by ACA. Silchar team could not make up to the final match due to match fixing by NFR team, but this aspect was surprisingly ignored by the ACA during their enquiry. Such attitude seems to be against the spirit of the game.”

Also Read: JK Baruah U-19 cricket: MP Sushmita Dev alleges match fixing, ACA calls hearing on 23 Feb