Mumbai Cricket Association selection panel down to three

Pradeep Kasliwal and Sanjay Patil

In a dramatic move, two days before their first match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament against Mizoram at the Wankhede Stadium tomorrow, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) sacked two senior selection committee members - Sanjay Patil and Pradeep Kasliwal.

MCA president Dr Vijay Patil and secretary Sanjay Naik had separate meetings with selection committee chief Milind Rege and then with rest of the other selectors - Sridhar Mandale, Guru Gupte, Patil and Kasliwal on Wednesday morning.

It is learnt that the outcome of the meeting resulted in appointing a three-member ad-hoc senior selection committee consisting Rege as chairman with Mandale and Gupte as members.

"The ad-hoc committee will function till the new senior selection committee is appointed after the Annual General Meeting of the association," MCA secretary Sanjay Naik said in a media release.

MCA secretary Sanjay Naik

It is learnt that Patil, who is also the chief of the under-19 selection committee, resigned from that post.

On Tuesday, mid-day reported about a heated debate among the selectors during its hour-long meeting in which they picked the 15-member squad for the domestic T20 tournament.

It is learnt that MCA's Apex Council members will be meeting separately in the next couple of days to discuss the decision taken by its office bearers.

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