‘The Team’ releases JSCA poll manifesto to reshape state cricket

Ranchi: Ahead of the upcoming Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) elections, presidential candidate Ajay Nath Shahdeo unveiled his detailed election manifesto on Thursday, accompanied by his panel titled ‘The Team.’ The manifesto, titled “Our Vision for Jharkhand Cricket,” outlines a comprehensive roadmap aimed at transforming cricket in the state across multiple levels.

The vision focuses on building a cricket-first ecosystem, ensuring transparent operations, and promoting inclusive development across all categories and regions.

Key highlights of the manifesto include ensuring cricketer-centric decision-making, involving former players in governance, and introducing a transparent player selection system at all levels. Shahdeo’s team has pledged to elevate JSCA teams to the top 4 rankings nationally across all formats and age groups.

A major part of the vision is the establishment of a state-of-the-art cricket academy with a year-round structure and pyramid-based development model. Additionally, a cutting-edge rehab and recovery centre is planned in Ranchi, supported by regional units.

Shahdeo's manifesto also promises to upgrade the current league and school cricket structure with better scheduling, standardized formats, and a robust performance tracking system. The panel aims to restore JSCA’s prominence in BCCI, and develop Jharkhand into a cricket hub of Eastern India through strategic collaboration with BCCI and media partners.

To boost domestic cricket, the manifesto proposes introducing high-performance programs in partnership with former international players. One of the key promises is to revive the Jharkhand Premier League (JPL) with a franchise-based model, professional broadcasting, sponsorships, and fan engagement initiatives.

Women’s cricket will also be a priority, with a commitment to create dedicated training infrastructure and conduct regular tournaments. Further, there are promises to enhance district-level infrastructure, launch a statewide talent identification and monitoring system, and engage former cricketers in coaching and mentoring roles.

The manifesto also includes plans to make umpiring and scoring viable career paths by professionalizing these domains.

With the elections gaining momentum, Ajay Nath Shahdeo’s detailed and ambitious plan sets a competitive tone in the race for leadership of JSCA, highlighting a strong commitment to transparency, professionalism, and grassroots cricket development.