'Don’t misuse the name of Sachin Tendulkar’ was the message from Lalchand Rajput, chairman of Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) to the Apex Council members of the Mumbai Cricket Association. Rajput, a former India player, has alleged that Tendulkar’s name was misused by some members to throw their weight around in the appointment of coaches, selectors, trainers, and physiotherapists for Mumbai state teams across age- groups. "We respect Sachin Tendulkar but his name is used unnecessary everywhere to put pressure that Sachin has recommended X, Y, and Z. If Sachin has to make any recommendations he can directly talk to the President and CIC as we all know him very well. Tendulkar is an icon we respect him and I am sure if he has any suggestions, he has every right to let put his views across to us," Rajput wrote in his email, marked to the MCA president Vijay Patil and other office-bearers. The MCA had sought applications for the jobs to coach its senior men, senior women, under-23 men, and boys in under-19, under-16, and under-14 and under-19 girls team. Salil Ankola was the lone former India player to have applied for the job to coach the Mumbai Ranji Trophy. Rajesh Pawar, Amit Pagnis, Wilkin Mota, and Sulakshan Kulkarni were among the 24 candidates who were interviewed on September 9 by the Mumbai Cricket Association for a range of coaching jobs across age-groups. Rajput’s reply had come in response to a mail from an Apex Council member Amit Dani who suggested that CIC should check the credibility of the selected persons with MCA before making the names public. In a mail that was marked to the MCA president Patil, Dani had also written, "In all CIC meetings convenors should be available to avoid further misunderstandings amongst ourselves.' READ | BCCI indefinitely postpones AGM due to pandemic However, Rajput was upset with Dani's opinion about 'misunderstandings’ over whether the secretary and CEO should convene the meeting. "There was no misunderstanding between the secretary and the CEO as I spoke to both of them and said we are taking the interviews of the candidates now. That the meeting has to be convened by the convenor. He should know the facts before he speaks, "Rajput added. Rajput has been a former MCA office-bearer before and said he is always open for suggestions but he wrote Dani cannot tell him whom he should include. "If anyone would like to know the names, I have got it with me but here I don't want to reveal it because I am more matured than him. So I will not stoop to his level. Now, I know why Mumbai cricket is going down because being an apex council member they can throw their weight around and get things done. We as CIC will not allow these things to happen; that's why the AGM has given a mandate to an independent committee to look after the cricketing matters," Rajput asserted in his mail.
