Ahead of ODI, MCA highlights issues
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) seems to be adopting a wait and watch approach over the hosting of the fourth ODI between India and West Indies on October 29 at the Wankhede Stadium.
With less than 20 days to go for the match, there is hardly any clarity over how they will go about organising it. On Tuesday, the MCA CEO CS Naik and few of the former officebearers met with BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to update him about the financial difficulties they have been facing since the High Court-appointed COA relinquished their charge last month. This, besides the burning issue of complimentary passes that are at the association’s disposal, have been major points of debate at MCA with no consensus yet reached.
Though the Vinod Rai-led COA has reduced BCCI’S quota of complimentary tickets from 1200 to 604, MCA officials feel that it won’t be of much help. “Our requirement is around 7,000 passes. Even if we take into consideration the reduced BCCI quota, it won’t be enough,” said one of the MCA officials.
According to the BCCI constitution, only 10 per cent of match tickets can be issued as complimentary passes while the remaining 90 per cent have to go on public sale.
When an association is awarded a match, tenders are issued for catering to security among others as soon as possible to avoid any hassles but according to a top MCA official they haven’t “awarded any tenders yet”.
On Tuesday, MCA joint-secretary Unmesh Khanwilkar and managing committee member Ganesh Iyer had approached the Bombay High Court for appointment of an ad-hoc committee but it was dismissed.
They had indicated that they will approach the Supreme Court seeking clarity on how to operate the bank accounts for making payments including salaries but till late on Tuesday they didn’t confirm when they will approach the apex court.
And it remains to be seen what will be the outcome of the plea filed by EX-BCCI president Sharad Pawar in the Supreme Court regarding the appointment of an ad-hoc committee till the new elections are held.
However, Rai said a feasible solution would soon be worked out. “I am not at all saying that Mumbai ODI will be shifted. Yes, they have raised some issues and I am confident that we will have a feasible solution,” Rai was quoted as saying by PTI.