Mumbai chief selector distances himself from sacked CIC members over interference claims

Just a few days after the 2 sacked members of Mumbai Cricket Association’s Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) – Lalchand Rajput and Raju Kulkarni – claimed to the MCA ombudsman that selectors had been able to testify of their favour, the chairman of choice committee Salil Ankola has distanced himself from them.
Rajput had alleged that the secretaries interfered in CIC issues and included gamers within the closing eleven with out the selectors’ approval.
Ankola – a former India pacer – stated neither Rajput nor Kulkarni has spoken to him on this challenge and that he has not agreed to testify in entrance of Ombudsman Justice Vijaya Tahiliramani.
“This is to inform about the recent series of allegations made by the Cricket Improvement Committee on ‘interference of secretaries in the selection process’. There have been recent media reports on Mr Lalchand Rajput and Mr Raju Kulkarni stating that ‘selectors’ are willing to testify for the interference to the MCA Ombudsman,” Ankola stated in an announcement.
“I, as a chairman of the selection committee for Mumbai Cricket Association, would like to place it on record that I have never spoken to Rajput on the above issue. Neither I have given any consent to testify in front of anyone. As a chairman of the selection committee, I have been transparent and always kept Mumbai’s interest above anything else.”
Ankola’s assertion comes after Rajput and Kulkarni submitted a petition to the MCA Ombudsman, contesting their elimination from the CIC.
Rajput had written that the CIC dissolution shouldn’t be the best of the Apex Council/office-bearers, and the ombudsman ought to cross an interim order to reinstate the dissolved CIC. He additionally needed the brand new appointments to be declared invalid.
“Selectors are willing to testify for the interference: e.g. inclusion of 2 players in 20 selected by senior team selectors for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021 (SMAT) after BCCI allowed 22 players due to Covid, instead of 20. The same 2 players were included in the playing 11 in the SMAT in some matches. Also, a left-arm bowler who was not in the original 20, who was a number 11 batsman, was made to open the innings in the SMAT,” the petition reads.