In the month of February, Assam Cricket witnessed a new abys. NF Railway team deliberately conceded an advantage to the Jorhat team in order to knock Silchar out of the prestigious JK Baruah trophy. Silchar was knocked out and when the bizarre field placement was exposed by Barak Bulletin, the Assam Cricket Association’s top officials were left stunned.
The Apex council conducted meetings and as a mark of history, coach and manager, Satyabrata Chakraborty was banned for life. The captain, Ronit Akhter was also banned for three years and the NF Railway Team was told that it won’t be able to participate in any ACA or ACA-affiliated tournament for the next three years.
However, just six months later Ronit Akhter’s name is on top of the list of shortlisted players for the state trials. Not just that, NF Railway also finds a mention in the fixture for the JK Baruah trophy. What happened to the historical ban?
In an exclusive conversation with Barak Bulletin, Secretary of ACA, Devajit Saikia confirmed that the ban on the team and the player have been withdrawn. Saikia informed that NF Railway submitted a request to relook at the punishment and based on that appeal, the apex council has decided to lift the ban from the team that also happens to be the supply chain of the State’s team.
On the other hand, a three-year ban on Ronit Akhter would mean he won’t be able to represent the state in the under-19 age group ever and so, keeping his career in mind, the Association has lifted the ban and he is now eligible for selection. The ACA Secretary confirmed that the lifetime ban on Coach and Manager, Satyabrata Chakraborty stays in effect.
Silchar DSA, on the other hand, is silent on this issue. Secretary Bijendra Prasad Singh was not available for a comment. A source close to his office said that Silchar DSA will not contest the withdrawal of the ban. In fact, a source close to Singh mentioned that in February itself, Singh had discussed with his members about appealing for a more lenient approach towards the player and the team. “Being a cricketer himself, Bijendra Prasad Singh would not want to ruin the career of an emerging player and so, there is no question of contesting the withdrawal. As far as the ban on NF Rail is concerned, there are many players from this region too who dream to play for Rail once. It is good that the bans have been lifted,” said a source close to Silchar DSA and the secretary.
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