DDCA confirms Ishant's Ranji availability after receiving flak over bizarre misunderstanding

New Delhi: After facing huge embarrassment for not being able to reach Ishant Sharma, a red-faced Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) on Thursday included the Indian pace spearhead with immediate effect although he will only be available from the second match. “Ishant Sharma has confirmed his availability from the second Ranji Trophy match but we are including him in the team right now,” DDCA Sports Secrtetary Sunil Dev released a one-sentence statement for the media. Ishant thus will be available for Delhi’s second game, which will be a home match against Vidarbha at the Feroz Shah Kotla from October 8-11. [caption id=“attachment_2444750” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ishant Sharma in action during the 3rd Test. AFP[/caption] The fiasco started on Wednesday when DDCA’s senior selection committee chairman Vinay Lamba said that the lanky pacer was “unreachable” and that was the reason they did not select him. “We tried contacting Ishant but neither did he pick up calls nor replied to our text messages. Also we don’t know whether he can play a first-class match during the period of his ban. If he is eligible to play we will add him in the squad,” Delhi’s chairman of selectors Vinay Lamba had said. However the DDCA, which is known for its mismanagement came in for flak from all quarters and as an act of damage control, included Ishant from the first match itself. “It was a ridiculous move. Have you ever heard that selectors calling up players to ask if you want to play or not? They just select the players. If the player has injury issues, he will intimate it to the state association. Ishant’s one-Test ban had no bearing on his Ranji Trophy participation. Hope DDCA and their selectors had done some homework,” a senior BCCI official told PTI. PTI