Dissatisfied Parvez Rasool speaks out against lack of facilities available in Jammu and Kashmir

Parvez Rasool

Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Parvez Rasool today raised concerns about the acute lack of quality facilities in J&K, which is stopping talented cricketers from improving their skills.

After being selected in the Rest of India squad for the Irani trophy, Rasool is again in the reckoning for national selection. But today, he has hit out against the lack of quality infrastructure.

He said: “There are number of problems (with regards to cricket in J&K). We do not have proper infrastructure. We do not have a number of grounds also. We have only two grounds —one in Jammu and another in Srinagar. When we go to Srinagar in November, we cannot play there for six months (due to snowfall). After that when we come to Jammu, we are left with only one ground. We do not have good turf wickets (natural grass).”

He added: “If we ought to perform well, we need to have good infrastructure. We should first have grounds for practice and there should be better facilities. If you see before Ranji Trophy, we had not played any matches. Atleast five days’ matches should be played with the teams of other states. There should be atleast 10 matches in a year which will enable us to perform well.”

He also expressed his satisfaction for being selected in the Rest of India team, saying: “It feels good to be selected in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup game. I hope that I will perform well in both batting and bowling.”

It is heartening to note that this youngster has established himself despite the lack of facilities. He has put in a lot of efforts in order to reach these heights.