DDCA joint secretary raises concerns over Manu Nayar and Varun Sood appointments
In New Delhi on Friday, Delhi & District Cricket Association joint secretary Amit Grover formally objected to elements of the DDCA’s newly released list of coaches and selectors, naming Manu Nayar and Varun Sood in his complaint.
Grover sent an email to the Sarandeep Singh-led Cricket Advisory Committee, copying DDCA president Rohan Jaitley, after the association announced the coaching and selection panels for various age groups. "With regard to the proposed appointments of coaches and selectors, I wish to formally place on record my reservations concerning the proposed appointment of Mr. Varun Sood and Mr. Manu Nayar, particularly with regard to their eligibility and compliance with the prescribed criteria," Grover wrote. The email did not specify the reasons why Nayar and Varun allegedly failed to meet the prescribed criteria.
The appointments in question include Manu Nayar being named to the three-member men’s selection panel and Varun Sood being appointed as assistant coach of the under-19 side. The retained selectors are K.P. Bhaskar and Manu Nayar, and Praveen Gupta has been introduced to the panel in place of Yashpal Singh.
Grover also challenged the decision to retain two of the three selectors following what he described as Delhi’s below-par performance last season, questioning the logic of keeping that continuity in the selection committee. His correspondence framed the objections as concerns about eligibility and adherence to the selection criteria rather than procedural complaints alone.
Separately, DDCA director Shyam Sharma wrote to president Rohan Jaitley proposing that the secretary and joint secretary be barred from attending selection meetings. "The presence of office-bearers in such meetings can influence the selectors and hamper fair and transparent selection, which is against the principles of the DDCA and BCCI," Shyam wrote.
Grover’s email was addressed to the Cricket Advisory Committee and copied to the DDCA president, while Sharma’s request was sent directly to president Rohan Jaitley. Both pieces of correspondence have thus been placed before DDCA leadership for consideration.
