Saba Karim helps Maharashtra Cricket Association avoid faux pas

Saba Karim informs the association that Dheeraj Jadhav, whose name figured in the electoral roll under the international male category, has not played international cricket for India.

Saba Karim was persuaded to communicate to the MCA Electoral Officer by a CoA member.

A major faux pas has probably been averted with the BCCI’s General Manager, Cricket Operations, Saba Karim conveying to the electoral officer of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) that Dheeraj Jadhav has not played international cricket for India.

The MCA had awarded membership and voting rights to Jadhav in the international cricketer category and his name figured in the electoral roll under the international male cricketer category along with Chandu Borde, Yajurvindra Singh, Iqbal Siddiqui, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Abhijit Kale. The mail from Karim said: “This is to clarify that Mr. Dheeraj Jadhav is not an international cricketer as per the BCCI records.”

Karim, the former India player, was persuaded to communicate to the MCA Electoral Officer Jagheshwar Saharia by a CoA member, after the Electoral Officer probably insisted that he would only entertain communication from the BCCI-CoA and not from a representative of any category. The particular mail was also marked to CoA head Vinod Rai, member, Lt. Gen. (Retd), Ravi Thodge and a few more BCCI officials.

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While Jadhav’s name will most probably be deleted from the electoral roll, the CoA has to clarify why only the MCA is allowed to conduct election to choose the international male cricketer and international female cricketer.

It was the understanding of the BCCI members that the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA), a registered body, would conduct the election on October 11, to nominate the international male and female cricketer to the BCCI Apex Council and also election of State chapters. The State chapter is seen as a separate constituency and not only are the international cricketers given an opportunity to vote, but also other domestic players who have played a number of matches as specified by the ICA.

Wrong information

The MCA electoral officer, on the basis of the wrong information given by the State authorities, included Jadhav’s name in the voter’s list.

The two male international cricketers who have filed nominations for a place in the State Apex Council are Yajurvindra Singh and Kale, and three international female cricketers who have filed nominations are former India captain Shubhangi Kulkarni, Amrita Shinde and Kaplana Paropkari-Tapikar.

The CoA, which meets in New Delhi on Tuesday, has to take an appropriate decision on the the exception being made to Maharashtra CA to conduct elections for the international male and female cricketer.