The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) is again at the center of controversy — this time for a reported case of favoritism in team selection. A Delhi U-19 cricketer, reportedly never having kept wickets, was picked as a second wicketkeeper for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy on the insistence of a senior DDCA official. As reported by Dainik Jagran, the player was named the 22nd of the 23 players announced in the squad on October 3, but his selection became a serious point of doubt for the association. Not long afterward, a few DDCA office-bearers approached President Rohan Jaitley with a formal complaint, terming the selection "influenced and improper." President Rohan Jaitley Intervenes to Rectify the Selection On being informed, DDCA President Rohan Jaitley acted forthwith on the complaint. He removed the name of the controversial player from the team and replaced him with a genuine wicketkeeper for the U-19 tournament, which starts October 9 in Ranchi. A source near the development stated, "Selectors were not blamed here. The pressure was exerted by a senior DDCA official who wanted the player to be selected as a backup wicketkeeper even though he did not have the ability." Two other players were subsequently dropped, one for document inconsistencies and the other on grounds not specified — as the association set about rectifying the squad before they left. Presence of Officials in Selection Meeting Causes Further Outrage The issue has renewed the debate surrounding transparency in the operations of DDCA. A couple of days ago, DDCA Secretary Ashok Sharma had written a letter to President Jaitley with concern over the unauthorized presence of directors during a selection meeting for the U-23 and Ranji Trophy teams. "Directors cannot be included in the selection committee meetings. But Harsh Singla, Anand Verma, and Manjeet Singh came into the room and insisted on being included in the meeting. I had to adjourn the meeting as they did not leave," Sharma informed The Indian Express. Sharma pointed out in his letter: "The recent selection process has raised serious concerns about the functioning of the DDCA selection committee… Apex Council members have overstepped their roles, undermining the autonomy and credibility of the selection committee." A Recurring Pattern of Poor Governance In spite of previous Lokpal (ombudsman) instructions excluding office-bearers from attending selection meetings, the same trend persists. DDCA member Suresh Kumar Sharma had already reminded the board about the ban, but officials were allegedly present during the U-19 selections. Though Jaitley's intervention has addressed this incident, the scandal highlights long-standing integrity and governance issues in the DDCA. The Delhi U-19 team, left for Ranchi, is now all about the players, but the credibility of the association is still questioned.