Lucknow: “Gen Z” cricketers and their parents have staged a protest at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium, demanding the formation of three Ranji Trophy teams in Uttar Pradesh.
Under the aegis of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Players Association and the Cricket Association of Purvanchal, the “Gen Z” cricketers and their parents from Purvanchal and central Uttar Pradesh protested inside the stadium on Sunday, demanding the creation of three Ranji Trophy teams in the state to ensure equal opportunities for cricketers from these areas.
Arvind Singh, the state president of the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Players Association, told PTI that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has previously advocated for having more than one Ranji team in a vast state like Uttar Pradesh to ensure that all players receive their due rights and opportunities.
He said given Uttar Pradesh’s population of approximately 25 crore, there should be three cricket associations — and consequently, three Ranji teams — in the state. It was to press this demand that 250 “Gen Z” players and their parents protested at the Ekana Stadium, Singh added.
He said cricketers from Uttar Pradesh are preparing for a major agitation in September to press their demand for three Ranji teams in the state.
Singh said his organisation has appealed to “Gen Z” cricketers across the state to participate in large numbers in the upcoming protest to secure their rights and fair opportunities.
Singh also alleged that players from Purvanchal and central Uttar Pradesh are being sidelined in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh T20 League.
He pointed out that out of approximately 150 players in the six teams in the league’s current season, only 16 are from Purvanchal and central Uttar Pradesh, whereas 89 players hail from nine districts of western Uttar Pradesh and eight are from Delhi.
