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A Parent
The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) is once again facing questions over its selection process, this time following the announcement of the Hyderabad Under-19 men’s and women’s teams.
HCA Secretary Jeevan Reddy on Wednesday held a press conference and formally released the state Under-19 men’s and women’s squads. While the announcement was expected to mark an important stage in the preparations for the forthcoming BCCI domestic season, the selections have also triggered questions among followers of Hyderabad cricket over whether performance and merit have been applied uniformly in the selection of the teams.
The men’s selection has already come under scrutiny amid allegations of age-related irregularities involving some players. The women’s squad, meanwhile, has raised a different set of questions, with concerns being expressed over whether all selections were made strictly on the basis of recent performances, consistency and match-winning contributions.
To be fair, a substantial number of players selected for the women’s team appear to have earned their places through performances and consistency. Their selection deserves to be acknowledged, particularly because young cricketers who perform consistently need encouragement and opportunities at the state level.
However, there are also a few selections that are difficult to reconcile with the available performance and scoring records.
The inclusion of Akshaya Reddy, Pratika Reddy Kancharla, Jazmine Gill and Keerthana Bandela, in particular, has prompted questions from those closely following Hyderabad women’s cricket. Their recent performances and scoring records, when compared with those of some players who have performed more consistently but have not found a place in the squad, appear to require a clearer explanation from the selection committee.
The issue is not about questioning the ability, potential or character of any individual player. Every young cricketer selected for a state team deserves respect and an opportunity to prove herself. Nor should selection-related questions be interpreted as a personal criticism of the players concerned.
The larger issue is whether the same objective standards have been applied to every player.
If merit is indeed the principal basis for selection, the HCA selection committee should have no difficulty explaining the parameters used. These could include recent performances, aggregate runs or wickets, consistency across matches, match impact, fielding contributions and performances against stronger opposition.
Such transparency becomes particularly important when a player with stronger recent numbers is left out while another player with comparatively modest statistics is selected.
Selection committees inevitably have to consider factors beyond raw statistics. Team balance, playing combinations, specific roles, fitness, fielding ability and tactical requirements can legitimately influence selection. Therefore, a difference in statistics alone does not automatically establish that a selection was incorrect.
But that is precisely why transparency matters.
Where statistical performance does not appear to explain a particular selection, the selection committee should be in a position to explain what additional objective considerations were taken into account. Such an approach would not only answer questions being raised externally but would also reassure players within the system that selections are being made through a consistent and identifiable process.
This is particularly important in age-group cricket.
For a young cricketer, an Under-19 selection is not merely another team announcement. It can represent an important pathway towards higher levels of domestic cricket and, eventually, professional cricket. A player who performs consistently but repeatedly misses selection can understandably begin to question whether performance on the field is sufficient to earn recognition.
That perception can be damaging to the development of the game.
Hyderabad has never been short of cricketing talent. Its women’s cricket structure has also produced players capable of representing the state and progressing to higher levels. The responsibility of the governing body and its selection committees is therefore not merely to select a team, but to ensure that the selection system commands the confidence of the players and the cricketing community.
The best way to achieve that confidence is through transparent, accountable and demonstrably merit-based selection.
If the HCA has valid cricketing reasons for the selections that are currently being questioned, those reasons should be placed on record. If performance data shows that some deserving players have been overlooked despite meeting the stated selection criteria, the matter deserves a review.
There is also a larger principle involved.
Players should not be left with the impression that connections, influence or considerations unrelated to performance can become more important than what they do on the cricket field. Even the perception of such a system can discourage young talent and undermine faith in the selection process.
The HCA has an opportunity to remove that perception by making its selection methodology clearer.
The question, therefore, is not whether every selection must be judged solely by runs and wickets. Cricket selection is more complex than a statistical spreadsheet. The question is whether every player is being assessed against the same transparent standards and whether those standards can withstand scrutiny.
For Hyderabad women’s cricket to progress, young players must believe that hard work, consistency and performance provide the strongest pathway to selection.
Meanwhile, it is gathered that even in the U-19 boys’ team, two players who performed well in the Vinoo Mankad tournament—S. Nipun Reddy and N. Sudeev—have reportedly not found a place in the squad. What prompted the selectors to overlook their performances is a legitimate question that merits an explanation.
Merit may not be the only consideration in building a team. But it must remain the foundation.
