MCA seeks application for senior Mumbai team coach's post

Interested candidates can apply for the position before May 24.

The eligibility criteria for the position states that the applicant should have played minimum of 50 first-class matches, should be NCA certified coach, should have experience of coaching a state team/IPL franchisee/NCA and should be a Mumbai resident.

Despite the controversy surrounding the eligibility of the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC), the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has initiated the process of appointing the head coach for Mumbai’s senior men’s team.

On its website, the MCA has invited applications - with May 24 being the deadline. At least 50 First Class appearances, National Cricket Academy certification, being a resident of Mumbai and prior coaching experience - either with a state team or an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise - are required for the candidates.

The MCA advertisement specified that the criteria has been finalised by the CIC. While specifying IPL experience has raised a few eyebrows, CIC chairman Jatin Paranjape stressed that IPL coaching is a vital aspect in modern-day cricket.

“Cross-learning is the need of the hour. That’s why we have included NCA experience also so that we can throw our arms around as many good candidates as possible. But we’ve also put a filter of 50 First Class matches since you need gravitas to command respect from the dressing room,” Paranjape told Sportstar .

Ramesh Powar was the Mumbai coach for its triumphant the Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign in February-March. While Powar’s appointment was only till March 31, the former India spinner has since taken charge of India Women as the head coach.

While the new CIC - comprising Paranjape, Vinod Kambli and Nilesh Kulkarni - has started planning for the next season in advance, a section of MCA members feel the office-bearers are rushing the procedure despite a complaint against reconstituting the CIC pending with the MCA ombudsman.

After MCA unceremoniously dissolved the previous CIC, two of its three members - chairman Lalchand Rajput and former India pacer Raju Kulkarni - have approached Justice (retd) Vijaya Tahilramani for reinstating their committee.

Rajput and veteran MCA member Ravi Mandrekar have requested Tahilramani to take up the pending complaints at the earliest. While Rajput has reiterated his request for a stay on appointments till the Ombudsman passes a verdict, Mandrekar has specified alleged irregularities in awarding maintenance contracts.

“The delay in the restraining order will make my complaint infructuous and will cause an extremely bad precedent and irreparable damage to the Association . I hope you will do needful,” Mandrekar requested the Ombudsman in an email on Wednesday.