Female cricketer claims MP Cricket Association official sexually harassed her

An 18-year-old girl cricketer has charged Alpesh Shah, the convenor of the under-19 selection committee, with attempt to sexually harass her, an allegation denied by Shah.

The girl's father Sandeep Thakkar told PTI here today that Alpesh had tried to sexually exploit her on the evening of September 23 when he had called her to the Holkar stadium for giving her "special blessings".

Thakkar claimed that when Alpesh was indulging in some indecent actions, his daughter ran away and told him about the incident. The father claimed that he gave this information to the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association Chairman, M K Bhargava who summoned him and his daughter in the presence of Alpesh "who apologised for his actions".

Alpesh denied the charge against him and said the girl was saying all this as she had not been selected for the under-19 team.

Bhargava said a four-member committee had been set up to go into the incident and added that if the charges were found true, the case may be handed over to the police.