Unselected U-19 player tries to include himself in XI

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An Apex Council member said on Tuesday that he reported an incident to the Mumbai Cricket Association, pointing to an unnamed cricketer, who tried to force his way into the playing XI in one of the teams participating in the ongoing U-19 KC Mahindra Shield despite not being selected in the team.

In an email to the MCA, the Apex Council member urged the association to take strong action against the cricketer, who allegedly threatened a selector when he was not included in the team.

The email read: "One of the selectors, Raju Sutar got (sic) to my notice that a player had come to play the match when he was not selected in the team. He gave names of random people from MCA Apex Council and tried to put pressure on selectors to pick him. Selectors stayed firm and did not include him in the team. They also told him to leave but he was very adamant on staying there. Also his parents called up the selector and used threatening language." MCA secretary Sanjay Naik said the issue has not been brought to his notice so far. "I will check with the MCA chief executive if we have received such an email," Naik told mid-day.

Meanwhile, a signature campaign has been launched by a few MCA members protesting the decision taken by MCA president Vijay Patil to sack senior selector Pradeep Kasliwal from the committee. Sanjay Patil, another senior selector, stepped down after being asked to only continue as U-19 chairman of selectors.

The members are seeking an explanation from Patil for taking the decision without calling for an Apex Council meeting.

In another development, the MCA will have to rearrange bone tests for around 150 U-16 cricketers as the data from the medical centre got wiped out due to a technical error.

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