MCA VP Savant to skip IPL Qualifier 2 at Wankhede

Deeply hurt by the IPL final snub, Mumbai Cricket Association's vice president Ravi Savant has decided to stay away from the Qualifier 2 being held at the association-owned Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
"I have handed over my accreditation and car pass to the Cricket Board (BCCI) secretary (Sanjay Patel) and will not attend the game but all cooperation would be given by MCA for the smooth conduct of the match," Savant told PTI today.
IPL governing council had shifted the June 1 T20 final from here to Bangalore's Chinnaswamy Stadium and Savant said his decision to skip the match was a personal one.

"The match has been shifted without assigning any valid reason to us. We had even set aside our self-respect and decided to lift the ban on Shah Rukh Khan to attend the final as demanded," said Savant.
"All the reasons given by IPl Governing Council to shift the match at the last moment do not stand to justify the decision of GC and the same has been pointed out to GC by me in my correspondence with Mr Biswal," explained Savant.
The MCA official, who is also the vice president of the BCCI from West Zone, said he does not know what the other managing committee members of the MCA have decided on the issue.

"You will have to ask them," he said.

Savant also denied the charge leveled by IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal through a letter written to MCA president Sharad Pawar that he had threatened BCCI's interim president Shivlal Yadav on the issue.
"I had not threatened Mr Shivlal Yadav as has been charged by Mr Biswal," said Savant.
Asked whether Pawar would be witnessing the match at the Wankhede Stadium, Savant said "I don't think so.