The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stepped in to prevent Arunachal Pradesh from forfeiting further matches this season by organising selection trials for the State’s men’s and women’s teams across age groups and at the senior level.

The move follows Arunachal’s forfeiture of its Ranji Trophy opener against Nagaland and its failure to field teams in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and Under-19 women’s T20 Trophy amid a legal dispute between two factions of the Arunachal Cricket Association (ACA) pending before the Gauhati High Court’s Itanagar Bench.

BCCI Apex Council member M. Khairul Jamal Majumdar will convene the selection process, which will be overseen by an independent panel comprising former Assam players Satya Gopal Chakraborty, Jayanta Chowdhury and Deep Bora. The panel will select squads for the Ranji Trophy, Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy, senior women’s T20 Trophy and Vijay Merchant Trophy.

“The BCCI will do everything, keeping the players’ interest in mind,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told The Hindu. “We decided to step in and ensure that the players don’t suffer.”

To prevent local interference, the BCCI has advertised the trials in newspapers, inviting players to participate. “There will be no outside interference. The three-member committee will independently conduct the trials and pick the squads based on merit,” Saikia said.

The Board’s intervention follows appeals from cricketers after the Ranji Trophy forfeiture.