The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) may have finally accepted the nominations of former India and Mumbai stalwarts Balwinder Singh Sandhu and Karsan Ghavri yesterday to contest the July 15 polls, but the duo is deeply hurt.

"I am still very hurt even if they (MCA) have accepted our nominations. They rejected me for submitting (nominations) it 15 minutes late. I had to go to court to fight for my right. I'll never be able to get over the way MCA treated me. I never imagined that they could do this to someone who contributed and served Mumbai's cricket for decades," Sandhu told MiD DAY.

Ghavri said: "We have served Mumbai cricket throughout our lives, so they should have considered us. It was raining very heavily on that day (June 14) and that is why it got delayed by a few minutes. It was unsporting of them to act like this," Ghavri said from Chandigarh.

Sandhu and Ghavri will contest for a place in the managing committee. The MCA did not accept the duo's nominations as they were submitted late ufffd after the scheduled time of 5 pm on June 14.

Sandhu moved the court challenging the managing committee's decision to alter the cut-off time from 7 pm to 5 pm.u00a0

"I am surprised that within 15 days the MCA president Sharad Pawar realised the mistake and accepted our nominations. It happened only because I went to court. They did everything to stop a cricketer from contesting the elections. I hope they will now conduct the elections in a fair way," Sandhu said.