MCA President Ajinkya Naik shares insights about Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum

The Mumbai Cricket Association MCA is all set to soon inaugurate the newly constructed Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum on the premises of the historic Wankhede StadiumIn an exclusive interview with middaycom the incumbent President of the MCA Mr Ajinkya Naik opened up about the process of bringing the dream of the Apex Council members to lifeThe museum is named after Sharad Pawar who served as the MCA President from 2001 to 2011 PIC KIRTI SURVE PARADEWhen asked about the motive behind constructing a museum next to Wankhede Stadium Naik said Our main motive was to showcase the Mumbai Cricket Associations legacy to the future stars of Mumbai and Indian cricket and also for the tourists who keep visiting the cityFrom jerseys and sweaters to bats and other cricketing gear several Mumbai and Team India cricketers have donated their special items to the museum The president revealed that the committee members and MCA management had taken efforts to reach out to players and select which items should be showcased in the museumOne of the unique highlights of the museum is a replica of a playersrsquo dressing room designed to give fans a taste of the behindthescenes environment With sofas cricket jerseys hanging on the walls and careful detailing this space recreates the atmosphere where game strategies are discussed and nerves are calmed PIC KIRTI SURVE PARADEApex Council members and the committee which included Mr Professor Shetty Clayton Murzello and a few others did the research There were a lot of people involved in the process of collecting special items from former and current players he saidAll cricketers who have represented India at the highest level have donated their precious items to the museum ndash right from Dilip Vengsarkar Sunil Gavaskar Sachin Tendulkar Rohit Sharma Abhishek Nayar Raju Kulkarni and many others he told middaycomMiddayrsquos Deputy Editor Mr Clayton Murzello who is also a member of the MCArsquos Advisory Board played a huge role in helping the management bring the museum to lifePIC KIRTI SURVE PARADEClayton Murzello played a crucial role in the development of the museum In the city there are very few people who are well aware of Mumbai crickets history He played an important role in curating different items in the museum which is set to be inaugurated soon Naik told middaycomHe has been active as a journalist and also as a cricket enthusiast He has played an important role in the field of cricket for a really long time he addedFurther the president also revealed the date on which the museum will be accessible to the general publicThe newly constructed Sharad Pawar Museum will be inaugurated on 22nd September Soon the soft launch of the museum will be done in the presence of the MCA officials and Mumbai and Team India cricketersAdding to the immersive experience is a giant projection screen on the first floor where visitors can relive the unforgettable moments of Indiarsquos 2011 ODI World Cup victory This celebration clip is expected to be one of the most emotional and crowdpulling features of the museum PIC KIRTI SURVE PARADEWhen asked about the one thing that stands out to Naik being the President of the MCA he said on a very emotional note that the entire museum for him is a big achievementFor me the museum in itself is a big thing ndash a big achievement for the Mumbai Cricket Association and also for the Apex Council members The discussions regarding the stadiums have been held for a long time and finally the dream is coming true Also it will be one of its kind in India he saidOn further developments at the MCA Naik remained tightlipped but assured the website of updates on future projects if anyFor now the management is only focused on the inauguration of the museum We will keep you posted on future projects he concluded