ITANAGAR, 5 Sep: The Itanagar Cricket Association [ICA] has raised questions about the state of cricket administration in Arunachal Pradesh after the Arunachal Cricket Association was left without representation in the draft electoral roll for the BCCI elections 2026.
The draft electoral roll, issued by the electoral officer for the BCCI on 1 September, 2026, contains nominated representatives from 31 member associations, but Arunachal does not figure in the list.
"For a state that became a full member of the BCCI nearly a decade ago, the absence is more than a procedural setback. It is an alarming reflection of how deeply administrative uncertainty and institutional failure have affected the functioning of cricket in Arunachal Pradesh," ICA president Suraj Tayam said in a press statement.
How did a full member association reach a stage where it could not secure representation in the BCCI electoral process? He questioned.
"This question deserves answers - not excuses, silence, or another round of administrative blame games," he said.
Tayam said that the present situation is not an isolated incident.
"For years, Arunachal cricket has been caught between administrative disputes, uncertainty and prolonged struggles for control. Instead of the focus remaining on infrastructure, player development, grassroots programmes and competitive performance, the association has increasingly found itself consumed by internal issues," he said.
He added: "While other Northeastern states that received opportunities following the expansion of BCCI cricket have gradually developed infrastructure, hosted domestic matches and strengthened their cricketing ecosystem, Arunachal Pradesh continues to struggle for basic facilities expected from a full member association."
He said that nearly nine years after full membership, Arunachal's players are still asking fundamental questions about world-class cricket infrastructure, adequate practice facilities, long-term development programmes, a roadmap for young cricketers, and the stability required to build competitive teams.
Tayam stated that those entrusted with the administration of Arunachal cricket were expected to build institutions, strengthen infrastructure and create opportunities for young players.
"Instead, after years of administration, the association finds itself facing uncertainty even over its participation in the BCCI's electoral process," he lamented.
He said that the exclusion of an entire full member association from the draft electoral roll of the country's cricket governing body should have generated serious debate.
Tayam said also that this should be a moment of serious introspection for the entire cricket administration.
"The issue is not about blaming one individual or celebrating the failure of another. The failure is institutional," he said.
"When an association repeatedly finds itself trapped in disputes and administrative paralysis, responsibility cannot be avoided by pointing fingers in different directions," he said.
He said that the most unfortunate part of this crisis is that the people suffering the consequences are not those involved in administrative battles but the young cricketer from a remote district, the aspiring fast bowler without proper training facilities, the talented batter who travels hundreds of kilometres in search of better opportunities, and the young girl dreaming of representing Arunachal.
"A cricketer's career is short. Opportunities are limited. Age-group eligibility does not wait for court cases, elections or administrative disputes to be resolved.
"A player who loses a season may lose a career-defining opportunity. That is why the present situation should not be treated as merely an administrative matter," he said.
Tayam said that the exclusion from the draft electoral roll should be treated as a wake-up call.
"The crisis shows the urgent need for Arunachal cricket to return to the core principles of any sporting institution - transparency, accountability, stability, development, and player welfare," he said.
"There must be a collective effort to restore normalcy and ensure that the interests of the game remain above personal or administrative conflicts. The future of Arunachal cricket cannot remain hostage to prolonged uncertainty," he said.
"The absence of Arunachal from the draft electoral roll is more than an embarrassing administrative lapse and it is a warning that the state cannot afford to lose any more time and another generation of talented cricketers cannot be sacrificed to administrative failure, and positions, power and personal interests must never become more important than the future of the game," Tayam said.
"The time has come for everyone connected with Arunachal cricket to ask one honest question: what have we done for the players and what are we doing to protect their future? Until that question becomes the centre of every decision, Arunachal cricket will continue to suffer," he added.
