Cricket lovers come forward to aid financial weak support staff

Cricket back in the 1970s and 1980s wasn't a financial viable sport unlike today where players make huge amounts and hence a group of cricket lovers have come forward and launched a program to support the support staff of yesteryears.

Conceptualised by senior columnist Makarand Waingankar, the 'Cricketers' Foundation' has been set up to help lesser-known characters, who contribute to cricket but are left largely ignored.

The foundation aims to raise funds to help veteran Mumbai players, coaches, umpires and maidan maalis (groundsmen), who may have fallen on hard times now.

A lot of these support staff don't receive any monetary benefit from BCCI or the local association -- in this case the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) as they haven't played for India/Mumbai and don't qualify to receive any pension.

Apart from Waingankar, Abhijit Sanzgiri, veteran TV commentator Fredun Dre Vitre, who is now a High Court lawyer, former Mumbai player Salil Datar, Amit Gadkari, Dr Shailesh Shrikhande are associated with the Foundation.