Amidst transparency cries, MCA keeps media away from AGM

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) may have agreed to Lodha Committee's recommendation on transparency, but did not believe in allowing the media to be a part of the 82nd Annual General Meeting at the Wankhede Stadium

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) may have agreed to Lodha Committee's recommendation on transparency, but did not believe in allowing the media to be a part of the 82nd Annual General Meeting at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

Former Mumbai Cricket Association managing committee members Shripad Halbe (left) and Ravi Mandrekar chat after the MCA AGM at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble

The media was not allowed to witness the proceedings of the AGM in which important discussions like the Lodha Committee recommendations were to take place. An MCA official said the decision to keep the media away was taken by the MCA's Managing Committee.

Mediapersons were assured that MCA president Sharad Pawar would address them, but Pawar didn't end up facing the media. All resolutions including the Lodha Committee recommendations were deferred to the next AGM because the notice to members was submitted three days in advance as against four days which is the norm. However, it is learnt that the MCA will call a special general body meeting in a couple of months to discuss the Lodha report.

The only decision passed in the AGM was to take away membership/voting rights of clubs, who have stopped their cricketing activities.

As expected the issue of pre-maturely lifting the five-year ban on Shah Rukh Khan (for his alleged unruly behaviour at Wankhede in 2012) was raised, but Pawar is believed to have told the members that the incident was an old issue and that the Bollywood star and the IPL team KKR co-owner had sent a 'thank you' note to the MCA for their gesture.

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