JKCA accuses Parvez Rasool of stealing pitch roller; all-rounder hits back at administrators

In a bizarre incident, the Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has accused Parvez Rasool, one of the most prominent cricketers from the state, of taking away a pitch roller. The all-rounder, however, denied having taken the roller. He further hit out at the administrators, questioning “is this the way to treat an international cricketer who has given life and soul to J&K cricket?” The cricket body from the state has issued a notice to Rasool, asking him to return the roller or face “police action." Rasool, along with other administrators, has been marked in an email written by Brigadier (retd) Anil Gupta, a BJP spokesperson who is on the three-member sub-committee appointed by the BCCI to run JKCA, wherein Gupta has written: “Do we have any proof to nail him down.” But Gupta, in an  interview with Indian Express, mentioned that the matter was being “hyped up.” He added that the mail has been written to Rasool since the mailing addresses of all district associations were not available and Rasool’s name was in the JKCA register for his district. “We have not only written to Parvez Rasool but to all district associations and whosoever has taken JKCA machinery from Srinagar," he said. “Machinery was distributed at district associations without any vouchers. In many districts where we don’t have a mailing address, the letter was sent to the concerned person whose name was registered with us. He (Rasool) took offence to why the mail was written to him,” Gupta further stated.