Vengsarkar turns down offer to head MCA Committee

Dilip Vengsarkar does not seem to have overcome the setback of losing the recent Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) elections last month. The former India captain and Mumbai stalwart, it is learnt that he has turned down MCA president Vilasrao Deshmukh's offer to head the all-important Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC). The political heavyweight had pipped Vengsarkar in last month's MCA polls by 47 votes.

An MCA source explained the reason behind Vengsarkar's refusal. "Why should he (Vengsarkar) accept this offer? He felt that since the clubs did not vote him to power, he should not hold any post either," said the source.

"However, he is always there to churn out good cricketers for Mumbai and will keep striving for the betterment of Mumbai's cricket in his own way. Nobody can snatch that away from him," added the source. Vengsarkar refused to comment on the issue.

Former India stumper Chandrakant Pandit, a Managing Committee member and the lone cricketer to be elected into the set up, is likely to head the CIC as discussed in the Managing Committee meeting on Saturday.

CIC, first introduced by the former MCA president Sharad Pawar, gave cricketers a freehand to appoint coaches, selectors and support staff. Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar headed the CIC before resigning in April citing hectic media commitments as a reason.

Meanwhile, the observations of the MCA appointed-Project Management Consultants (PMC) regarding the flaws in the Wankhede Stadium makeover -- as reported by MiD DAY on August 18, were deferred to the next Managing Committee meet. "There was no reason as such to defer it, but it was felt that it could have been very time consuming," a source said.