Cuttack, Aug. 28: The Odisha Cricket Association has decided to constitute a committee as part of a strategy to ensure transparency in selection of players, particularly in the junior categories.

The move comes following allegations of severe irregularities in the selection of players in the under-16 and under-19 cricket tournaments organised by Odisha Cricket Association (OCA).

The CBI is now investigating the age controversy and some officials of the cricket association are under the scanner for deliberately allowing overage players to play in such tournaments.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of the OCA council held today. Besides, the OCA council has also postponed the election of office bearers that was scheduled to be held in October.

Sources said the decision to postpone the election process was a deliberate attempt to allow former members of the OCA, including secretary Ashirbad Behera and others, to hold office for a longer term.

The Supreme Court, in an order, has barred people above 70 years of age from occupying posts in several state cricket associations.

"The OCA council today approved the decision of constitution of two committees to put a check on incidents related to age in the future," said OCA secretary Ashirbad Behera.

Behera said the modalities of the committees would be fixed shortly. The junior cricketers would have to submit affidavits in support of the documents as age-proof submitted by them.

OCA president Ranjib Biswal, on the other hand, claimed that the decision to postpone the election of office bearers in the state cricket association has been postponed till further directions from the Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI).

"As the BCCI has filed a review petition in Supreme Court against the Lodha committee report, we have decided to wait till further orders. This is why the elections has been deferred," said Biswal.

Biswal said no official of the OCA was involved in the age controversy while stringent measures have already been taken to ensure transparency in selection of junior category players.

The OCA council today also approved a budget of nearly Rs 3.5 crore for the upcoming one-day international match to be played between India and England in January next year.

OCA sources said the seating capacity of Barabati Stadium would be slashed from the existing 45,000 to 42,000 following recommendations of the police and the England cricket board.

The OCA has also approved the numbering of the seats and a marginal hike in the prices of tickets.

Spectators will now pay Rs 600 for each ticket in galleries 1 and 3 as compared to the earlier Rs 500. Likewise, the price of tickets for the special enclosure has been increased to Rs 2,000 from Rs 1,500.