LUCKNOW, Oct. 14 -- Selection of a keeper-batter in the Uttar Pradesh's squad for the upcoming Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy matches has allegedly raised the eyebrows of many within the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association too as the boy happens to be the son of a franchisee of the UPT20 League and performed dismally in the UPT20 League recently held in Lucknow. The boy scored just 96 runs in 12 matches with 24 being his best whereas his second best was 20 at a strike rate of 8.00. Interestingly, the 20-year-old batter-keeper from Gautam Buddh Nagar got out within the 10-run bracket in as many as eight matches, including three ducks. In the 2024 season too, he could score just 87 at 8.08 with 44 being his best. However, he remains one of the top choices of the Praveen Kumar-led selection panel for the upcoming season where former champions Uttar Pradesh begin their campaign with a match against hosts Himachal Pradesh at Bilaspur from October 16. "Selecting a player is the final call of the chief selectors and we just follow his orders," one of the members of the selection committee said on Monday requesting anonymity. "We all know how the teams get selected in Uttar Pradesh and what kind of forces play their hands in the process," he claimed. "Everything was pre-decided and the selection meeting was just a formality. We as selectors only bother about our pay packages and nothing else. This isn't the first time when such things are happening, but it's a deep rooted system within the state cricket association," he said, adding, "The selection has been made for the first two matches and if the boy doesn't perform, he will be dropped." Another selector clarifies that even in the Ranji Trophy team, the selection of cricketers from other states at the cost of UP's home grown cricketers has been ignored by the authorities concerned as they have been asked not to poke their nose by the people from the top. Even the support staff of the team has people with almost no achievements, whereas the second in command despite having much experience is bound to follow the orders of an alleged inferior leader, claimed the selector. "Two cricketers with no performance have been picked as net bowlers in the Ranji Trophy team along with a consistent performer Zeeshan Ansarim" he added. "What's wrong with Madhav Kaushik as captain as the batter had scored 700 plus runs in the last season, but he has been demoted as the selectors wanted their pet man to lead the side even though his own track record wasn't impressive last season," he claimed. Former UP coach and veteran cricketer Ashok Bambi too raised his concerns over the appointment of Delhi-boy Karan Sharma as skipper of UP Ranji Trophy, which play their opening match against Andhra Pradesh from Wednesday at Kanpur. "Karan's performance in Ranji Trophy was very mediocre but how and why he has been assigned this task?. He was made captain in his debut match and continued to lead the side in every match despite a consistent failure in Ranji Trophy and as well as in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches," Bambi said on Monday. "UP will never perform as long as outsiders are there because they are only interested in their own performances," he claimed. UPCA's senior selection committee chief and former Team India pacer Praveen Kumar wasn't available for his comment on the issue despite HT's repeated efforts, but UPCA secretary Arvind Kumar Srivastava said he didn't know anything about such practice of any favouritism. "I am an outgoing secretary of the UPCA and have got just a few weeks to go and we have got no say in the selection process of any teams in the state. I don't think that now anybody would listen to me," he said on Monday. "Selectors might have found the boy fit for the purpose. We always believe in selectors' opinions, but if there is anything wrong, I will cross check this," Srivastava added....