Some hits and misses at the MCA AGM

Prof Ratnakar Shetty (right) and Sharad Pawar during the MCA AGM at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this month. Pic/Shadab Khan

The Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) AGM on April 15 showcased a shift in approach of office bearers, members, and Apex Council members.

Contrary to what the president said during the Special General Meeting (SGM) on April 7 that the general body will appoint a three-member committee to select an Ombudsman, he himself suggested three names, including two from the ad-hoc committee that advocated for Apex Council control over Ombudsman appointments. This move raises questions about the committee's adherence to the MCA's constitution.

Prof Ratnakar Shetty's concerns about tournament scheduling and many new tournaments being introduced, the Garware-MCA issue, and his advice not to pursue the thought of conducting the educational programmes for cricket graduates need to be taken seriously. Memon's plea for increased ground maintenance funding aligned with his reputation as a maidan man.

However, responses from the dais to senior member Shrikant Tigdi's query about the Kanga League and Dr Rajesh Madhavi's appeal for a committee for the disabled were disappointing. An attempt to name a railway foot over bridge after a cricketer who has given cricketing years to another association, overlooking cricketing greats like Ramakant Desai, Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar, Sudhir Naik, Ashok Mankad, Padmakar Shivalkar, Ravi Shashtri, Sandeep Patil, Sanjay Manjrekar, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and many more, was painful to witness.

The meeting's smooth progress received a jolt when two Apex Council members with political backgrounds, introduced four naming resolutions without prior circulation. The proposer and seconder's handling of the resolutions, including their tactics to get approval from all, was unwise. I kept my hands down in protest as I thought that it was unwise to name the Grand Stand Level 3 after Sharad Pawar as the yet-to-be-set-up cricket museum at Wankhede Stadium is named after him.

It was akin to overlooking other MCA presidents like Manohar Joshi, Madhav Mantri and Vilasrao Deshmukh who made land available for MCA's BKC club and which is named after Sharad Pawar.

The MCA's priorities seem misplaced, focusing on naming facilities rather than honouring cricket legends. Naming the MCA Pavilion stand the Ramakant Desai-Eknath Solkar-Dilip Sardesai MCA Pavilion would be a fitting tribute. The emotional bonds with yesteryear cricketers are essential for the MCA's growth and reputation.

Jagdish Achrekar was Treasurer of the MCA before the last elections in 2002.
The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper.