Lodha recommendations will hurt Mumbai cricket: Dilip Vengsarkar

Former Test captain and current MCA vice-president didn’t hold back the hard talk and said that some aspects of the Lodha committee recommendations, which are meant to cleanse cricket, are actually going to be harmful

Former Test captain and current Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) vice-president Dilip Vengsarkar didn’t hold back the hard talk yesterday and said that some aspects of the Lodha committee recommendations, which are meant to cleanse cricket, are actually going to be harmful to the game.

Dilip Vengsarkar at a press conference in Mumbai yesterday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

"The Lodha committee recommendations will be accepted, but I think some aspects are harmful to cricket. The one state, one vote point begs the question as to how can continuity be maintained? The cooling period for office bearers is three years. As these are honorary jobs, how will members keep up their interest after a gap of three years," Vengsarkar asked after MCA’s managing committee meeting yesterday.

Vengsarkar, who too has served the association as an office bearer for more than nine years, felt the MCA will find it difficult to run the show as most of its managing committee members are ineligible to continue in administration.

Big blow for city cricket
"Office bearers will come into the association with no background as they are new to cricket administration. Cricket will suffer 100 per cent cricket and it will be very difficult to come back (on track)," said Vengsarkar.

As per the Supreme Court verdict on the Lodha recommendations, state associations must be run by nine-member committees.

However, Vengsarkar felt that’s practically very difficult. "Mumbai gave 72 Test cricketers to this country, seven Test captains and 41 Ranji Trophy titles. Mumbai is the cricketing headquarters of India and you are withdrawing Mumbai’s vote and going to give it to Bihar or Manipur? "Is there any sense in this decision?" asked Vengsarkar.

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