Bhubaneswar: High drama unfolded at Sunshine Cricket Ground in Cuttack after a woman staged a sit-in on the pitch and created a ruckus protesting against the exclusion of his son’s name from the Under-19 team.
An on-going cricket match was halted for quite some time due to the dharna by the woman. She alleged that coach BBCC Mohapatra deliberately removed her son from the team and included the players of his own team.
Ayush Mohanty, a player of the Bhubaneswar ‘A’ team expected a place in the team which is playing the under-19 matches organised by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA).
A brawl also broke out between the mother of Ayush and a member of a juvenile club named Debasish Behera who allegedly kicked the woman from the dharna spot in a bid to disperse her.
“The coach ruined the career of my son for which he attempted suicide. My son was kept away from four matches. We were beaten up when we came here to seek justice. Injustice has been meted out to my son,” alleged the Ayush’s mother.
Later, police were called to resolve the issue. The match resumed following police intervention.
Meanwhile, coach BBCC Mohanty, who was also the chief selector, said that he short-listed the players list based on their performance. “Ayush Mohanty was given three chances in the league matches in which he scored only 16 runs. It was recorded in the OCA App. So, I took some other players who were waiting for a chance. Ayush should practice and wait for his turn,” the coach said.
“Absolute transparency was maintained in the selection procedure. I treat all the players equally. I want all to perform better and play for the State. Absolute transparency was maintained in the selection procedure,” he added.
