In new role, Tendulkar to do his bit to improve Mumbai cricket

Mumbai: Retired batting great Sachin Tendulkar has been roped into the newly formed Cricket Improvement Committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) as a special invitee and would attend its meetings whenever he is available.

Announcing this at a media conference here today, CIC Chairman and former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar said, "I spoke to Sachin today and he's agreed to share his views on Mumbai cricket. He will be a special invitee of the CIC and would attend meetings whenever he's in Mumbai."

Other members of the panel are former India captain Ajit Wadekar, who led Mumbai to several title triumphs in the 1960s and 1970s, former Test batsman Sanjay Manjrekar - an ex-skipper of the 40-time Ranji Trophy champions, ex-Test batsman and coach Pravin Amre, ex-India pacer Ajit Agarkar, prolific domestic batsman Amol Muzumdar, MCA Managing Committee member Deepak Patil and former India woman cricketer Diana Eduljee.

"CIC will soon appoint coaches for all age groups as well as the senior team, a director for its world-class indoor cricket academy at BKC (in suburban Mumbai). These three months are very crucial to plan for the next season," said Vengsarkar.

The ex-chief selector said a disciplinary committee would soon be formed and no cricketer, whether he is a superstar or an under-14 player, will be spared for any breach of the code of conduct.

Last year, Suryakumar Yadav was hauled over the coals for his unruly behaviour with some teammates and also lost his captaincy, while junior cricketer Sarfaraz Khan had his match fees held back for alleged misconduct. 

Asked about prolific batsman Wasim Jaffer's reported intention to shift allegiance from Mumbai to Vidarbha, Vengsarkar said the MCA was yet to receive a letter to this effect from the cricketer. "We have not received any letter from him so far."

The former India captain said the MCA would definitely "conduct the Mumbai Premier T20 League" during a ten-day window.

The original format of the monsoon tournament - Kanga League - has been revived and the tournament will run from August 2 to October 25, said Vengsarkar.

"We have also decided to revive other tournaments like the Purshottam Shield, Police Shield etc. These are all very important tournaments for an up and coming player. I myself have come up through them," said the 116-Test veteran.

He said that MCA would conduct a new tournament for schools in which two teams from the eastern suburbs, two from the western suburbs along with four from the island city would take part.

Vengsarkar, who is also Vice-President of MCA, announced that the Managing Committee has decided to give one free membership of the association's BKC club to all its 329 affiliated members comprising clubs, gymkhanas and others.

This was one of the promises given by MCA President Sharad Pawar to the members in the run-up to the elections held last week. Pawar was re-elected for a fresh two-year term at the helm of MCA.