Local cricketers fail to make it to MCA's off-season training camp despite consistent performances
ARCS Andheri captain Iqbal Abdulla (right) with Shubham Ranjane during a T20 Mumbai League match at the Wankhede earlier this year
Mumbai's cricketing fraternity was surprised to discover a few notable local performers being left out of the senior players' off-season training camp list. The preparatory session begins on July 23 at the Bandra Kurla Complex ground. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) yesterday declared the 27-member list after sitting over it for nearly a month.
While Mumbai's international cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur and Dhaval Kulkarni are all part of the probables list, the senior selection panel, headed by Ajit Agarkar, left out top local performers like Shubham Ranjane, Bravish Shetty, Raunaq Sharma and Shashank Singh. Even seasoned campaigner Iqbal Abdulla, who has completed his one-year cooling period after returning from Kerala, has failed to make the cut. Ranjane was one of the prolific run-getters in Mumbai's club circuit last season with close to 2000 runs, which also included a couple of double hundreds. Bravish too was among the top run-getters with seven centuries in the local season.
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Shashank made a name for himself in the T20 Mumbai League with some power-packed performances. Abdulla has a wealth of experience with 59 first-class matches and 49 Indian Premier League games to his credit. Agarkar refused to comment about any individual player. "I have no comment [to make] about any individual players. These are players we have picked for the fitness camp," said Agarkar in a text message. Mumbai's preparation ahead of the season has already been severely hit by the delay in appointment of the coach and support staff which has resulted in the team missing out on some crucial pre-season matches.
'Selectors don't come for local matches'
Top performing clubs were clearly frustrated at some of their players being ignored in the Mumbai probables' list. Khodadad Yazdegardi, vice-president and cricket secretary of Parsee Gymkhana, a Division A club in the Dr HD Kanga Cricket League, was furious. "Whatever they [selectors and MCA] like to call it, a fitness camp or Mumbai probables, it is shocking that the local performers are not being rewarded for their consistent performance. It will surely affect their motivation. The MCA must take notice of the fact that this senior selection panel does not bother to watch any local matches. They are too busy with their personal commitments," Yazdegardi said.
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