MCA rejects plea to remove selectors

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) backed its senior selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar and today rejected a demand from one of its members to hold a Special General Meeting to remove the panel.

Parsee Gymkhana cricket secretary and vice-president Khodadad Yazdegardi had written a letter to the MCA Committee of Administrators comprising retired judges Hemant Gokhale and V M Kanade on July 25, seeking removal of the senior selection team, alleging irregularities.

In a letter dated August 14 signed by MCA Chief Executive Officer C S Naik,the cricket body informed its decision to Khodadad of not accepting his demand and listed different reasons for the same.

PTI is in possession of a copy of the letter.

"That apart, as noted above, your letter does not contain any particulars of the alleged irregularities by the selection committee, and hence the object of calling the meeting is without any justification and incomplete.

"In view of all the above facts, your request invoking Rule 36 cannot be accepted,"the MCA has stated in the letter.

The MCA has also stated that if Khodadad chooses to go ahead and call a meeting, the said meeting will be null and void.

"In the event, the signatories supporting your letter choose to call the meeting for the purpose stated in your letter by invoking Rule 37 of MCA Rules, the said meeting will be invalid and illegal for the same reason which you may please note," the letter said.

A disgruntled Khodadad has claimed that all the 39 signatories are with him and threatened to move the court if his demand for convening the SGM was rejected by the MCA.

"I am going to move a motion invoking Rule Number 37, calling for a Special General Meeting, after giving eight days' notice and I will wait for their (MCA) answer," Khodadad told reporters here this evening.

"If they give me a negative answer that this meeting stands invalid, I will have no option than to move the (Bombay) High Court and pray to the Court to get this Special General Meeting held," Khodadad said.