Vengsarkar takes on MCA prez over choice of Gavaskar as cricket improvement comittee cheif
Vengsarkar takes on MCAu00a0prez overu00a0choiceu00a0of Gavaskaru00a0as cricketu00a0improvement comittee chief
Erstwhileu00a0India cricket captain and Mumbai Cricket Association vice-president Dilip Vengsarkar proved recently that taking on the biggest names was not just restricted to the international cricket arena, which he graced for 16 years. On Sunday, at the cricket association's office, Vengsarkar took on MCA president Sharad Pawar and questioned his decision to make Sunil Gavaskar the chief of MCA's high profile Cricket Improvement Committee.
It is learnt that Vengsarkar told Pawar not to rope in Gavaskar because he is not in touch with local cricket but the MCA head honcho didn't shift from his stance that Gavaskar was the best man to be chief of a panel that was earlier headed by Madhav Apte. Vengsarkar apparently raised his voice at the managing committee meeting, which met for the second time after the elections earlier this month.
However, another source stressed that Vengsarkar "did not object" to Gavaskar's appointment but "asked whether he would be available all the time."
Nothing against Sunil"Vengsarkar has nothing against Sunil entering the fray as both are friends for many years but he doesn't want to see him head a committee which needs people who are in touch with local cricket. After all, this committee appoints selectors, coaches, physios, trainers of various age-group teams and Gavaskar, as Pawar knows, is not always in Mumbai," said a managing committee member.
It is believed that Gavaskar reminded Pawar over the phone from England that he has to stay outside the country for a period of 180 days in a year and is not in touch with maidan cricket in Mumbai.
"I don't have anything to say," Vengsarkar told MiD DAY yesterday evening when asked about his alleged objection. Meanwhile, Gavaskar's supporters are rejoicing in the fact that he is back in the association after a decade.
Test cricket's first 10,000-run man was vice-president for a brief period due to the death of Ramakant Desai in 1998.
However, when it was election time, Gavaskar refused to contest since he did not like the idea of contesting against his fellow cricketers.u00a0 On Sunday, Vengsarkar was so irked by the Gavaskar decision that he asked Pawar not to consider him in the CIC whether his former captain comes in or not. Sources say that Vengsarkar as MCA's VP feels that cricket decisions should be taken by him and not by Pawar, who has otherwise been a fine administrator for Mumbai cricket. He strongly believes that the CIC, being the most important cricket committee, must meet at least onceu00a0 a month and not just occasionally.
Both Pawar and Gavaskar were not available for comment.
