MCA polls -- Pawar plans administrative reforms

MCA polls -- Pawar plans administrative reforms
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, JAN 15: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has plans to bring about administrative reforms in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), if elected as its president.

Pawar, who is contesting against former India captain and present MCA vice-president Ajit Wadekar, spelled out his plans openly for the first time while addressing a get together of the electoral college that comprised some leading former cricketers at the Cricket Club of India on Monday evening.

Pawar said as part of decentralising cricketing powers and for the benefit of the game, there should be two representatives instead of the present one from the MCA affiliates. This, he felt would facilitate larger participation and smoother functioning of the association.

Pawar also promised to bring about an end to the longstanding legal dispute between the MCA and the Garware Clubhouse of which he is also the president.

MCA and Garware Clubhouse (a sub-tenant of MCA) is housed in the same premises and the two premier institutions of Mumbai have not seen eye to eye since the demise of Barrister S K Wankhede.

Garware was also struck off the MCA membership rolls as an affiliated unit following the legal battle which has seen MCA spend several lakhs.

Besides re-uniting MCA and Garware, Pawar also aims to make MCA the ruling body of both the cricket association and the club. He said it was possible to have only one president for both the bodies. ``Whoever heads MCA should also be the chief of Garware Clubhouse,'' Pawar.

Elaborating on his policies, Pawar said if there was unanimity then there can also be sharing of income between MCA and Garware.

In putting these policies into action, Pawar sought the help of administrators and cricketers alike who were present in large numbers.

Offering his support to Pawar, former India Test player Dilip Sardesai said it was time for all to help the cause of cricket which was somehow lost because of poor administration in the past few years.

He made a reference to the acting president Manohar Joshi, who has been at the helm of MCA for the past four terms of two years each, blaming him for not attending the annual general meetings.

Joshi and the Shiv Sena are backing Wadekar for the president's post.

Making his stand clear, Sardesai said Wadekar was his good friend but he was supporting his rival only in the interest of the game.

``This is an opportunity for administrators and cricketers alike to grab the chance and work towards the betterment of cricket. If Mr Pawar is willing to serve the game and end differences then it should be welcomed,'' Sardesai said.

Former star cricketer Nari Contractor felt that it was a good beginning and the benefit of cricket should be kept uppermost in mind.

``There have been instances where politics upstaged cricket and I had distanced myself from MCA since I felt injustice was being done to the game, but now I see a ray of hope.''

Former Test cricketer Bapu Nadkarni was also on the dais. The get-together besides others was also attended by former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar and 1983 World Cupper Balwinder Singh Sandhu.