This new culture doesn't augur well for UP cricket

Almost two decades ago there was an alleged culture of triple "WWW" meant women, wealth and wine that had its role in Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association.

- Sharad Deep

LUCKNOW:

With the passage of time, it has been replaced by "regionalism, nepotism and favoritism" and now it seems to be the root cause for poor showing of state teams in the domestic circuit in the last few years.

The new culture allegedly opened the flood gate for outsiders, playing only after paying, selection of cricketers in all age groups from a certain academy from Meerut and its neighboring districts, and above all the patronisation of this culture by some senior officials of the UPCA, who consider only Meerut boys are talented and good enough for Uttar Pradesh cricket.

If one goes through all age group teams in men's cricket, one finds most of the players belonging to one academy in Meerut. If some cricketers are to be believed, they are being forced to pay-n-play at this academy if they really need to represent Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket.

"In fact, I was asked to join that academy in Meerut if I wanted to play for Uttar Pradesh in domestic championships. When I refused to do so, I was not even considered for state trials at Kanpur even though I had done well at the district trials," said one youngster Nitish Tyagi of Muzaffarnagar.