MUMBAI: The much ballyhooed (mostly by the BCCI) but toothless Indian Cricketers’ Association (representing retired players) has one more gripe to add to the many that are piling up, with little hopes of redressal.
The ICA, given official sanction by the Indian cricket board as a fig leaf measure following directives from the Supreme Court, has been given the royal ignore by BCCI’s top officials – Sourav Ganguly, Jay Shah and Arun Singh Dhumal – from pretty much its inception. Now, four days before the BCCI’s apex council meeting, former Test batsman Anshuman Gaekwad, a players’ representative on BCCI’s apex council, has slammed the troika for putting the interest of retired cricketer on the backburner.
Gaekwad has drawn attention to inadequate communication, apathy in addressing welfare demands and failure to share minutes of meetings held over two months, Indian Express reports.
The daily reported that in an email sent days before the council’s next meeting scheduled for Saturday, Gaekwad noted that it was “eye-pleasing” to see the BCCI’s office-bearers in the UAE watching the IPL.
Not that one of the points made by Gaekwad in the letter will get much sympathy. His letter also questions the lack of IPL invitations for all its members. Seriously? IPL invitations would mean the BCCI is putting the interests of retired cricketer on the “front burner”?
ICA president and former Test batsman Ashok Malhotra said: “We have written thrice to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and treasurer Arun Dhumal but are yet to get a reply. There are some demands that we want the Board to consider, like increasing pension, raising medical insurance from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, and giving pension to widows of first-class cricketers.”
BCCI sources said Gaekwad’s email has raised “very pertinent points” about the lack of transparency in cricket administration and indicates how Ganguly’s presence “hasn’t really empowered the players” (now that’s a late realisation if there ever was one).
Gaekwad wrote that by keeping the apex council in the dark, the office-bearers have put its members in an embarrassing situation, especially when the media, state units and cricketers ask them about key issues.
The members’ ignorance doesn’t paint a good impression about the functioning of the Council, wrote Gaekwad. Stating the obvious it could be argued, but don’t expect the troika to lose any sleep over the issue.
