Proceedings against JSCA dropped

Calcutta: The proceedings relating to the showcause issued to Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) by the registration department, government of Jharkhand, on the basis of a frivolous complaint by Ramesh Saxena, were finally dropped after a hearing on Thursday, says a Staff Reporter.

The showcause had been issued to JSCA on January 15 this year and two earlier hearings were conducted on March 3 and March 12, according to information received here.

Interestingly, the proceedings were initiated on a complaint made not to the registration department but on the basis of Saxena’s complaint to then chief secretary. Saxena had contested the post of honorary secretary of JSCA in the last election and lost ignominiously.

While dropping the proceedings, the inspector general of registration, Sudhir Prasad, referred to the BCCI report in favour of the JSCA on the basis of which the Supreme Court had disposed off the cases against the association.

No threat to Tests: Hanif

Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Hanif Mohammed believes the IPL won’t pose any threat to the other formats — Tests and ODIs. Unlike several ex-players, Hanif felt it would only increase the popularity of cricket. “When they introduced one-day cricket, I remember the same sort of apprehensions were expressed by players. But while one-dayers did decrease the popularity of Test cricket to an extent, it still remains the main form of the game and challenge for the players,” he said.

Tag irks Afridi

Karachi: Pakistan’s flamboyant allrounder Shahid Afridi is unhappy with the ‘mercenary’ tag attached to the cricketers appearing in the cash-rich IPL. “Yes, the money is good. But this does not mean we will give our lives for it. If the players are earning good money, so are the organisers,” Afridi told a TV channel.

Dew control

Mohali: With heavy dew in Chennai on Wednesday night giving a tough time to bowlers, BCCI pitches and grounds committee chairman Daljit Singh on Thursday said all IPL centres had been directed to take dew-controlling measures, wherever necessary. Singh said a circular had been issued to all centres to use apsa-80, a chemical, to control dew, if necessary.

Mitra angry

Calcutta: Eden curator Kalyan Mitra on Thursday got himself involved in an ugly fight with chief ground-staff Maheshwar regarding watering of the pitch, says a Staff Reporter. It was learnt that Mitra is against watering the pitch, something which the veteran ground-staff has started after he was back on duty. Mitra, on Thursday evening, stormed into CAB joint secretary Samar Paul's room and lodged a complaint.