Exposed? T20 Mumbai League cricketer Akhtar played in banned T20 league as Wasim

North Mumbai Panthers' Akhtar Shaikh (centre) celebrates the wicket of Jay Bista with teammates during a T20 Mumbai League match against SoBo Supersonics at Wankhede on Monday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is set to launch an investigation into the dubious identity of a player plying his trade in the ongoing T20 Mumbai League. The incident was brought to MCA's notice by mid-day when the dubious identity of North Mumbai Panthers' all-rounder Akhtar Shaikh came to light.

Shaikh, it is learnt, played in the banned Rajwada Cricket League, a T20 event organised in Rajasthan last year, in the name of Wasim Khan. Shaikh was part of the Bikaner Desert Challengers. The organisers invited former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin and ex-Sri Lankan opener Sanath Jayasuriya apart from a host of Bollywood celebrities to grace the occasion. Rajwada Cricket League has been banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) sent out a warning. Incidentally, during the ACU education programme, the players taking part in the T20 Mumbai League were also warned about the Rajwada Cricket League.

Akhtar Shaikh, who played as Wasim Khan, receives an award during the Rajwada Cricket League in Rajasthan last year

MCA concerned
MCA's joint secretary Dr Unmesh Khanvilkar said the matter is of grave concern. "We will look into the matter," Khanvilkar told mid-day yesterday. When Shaikh was asked if he had played in the Rajasthan league as Wasim Khan, he said, "it is not true." North Mumbai Panthers' team manager Datta Mitbhavkar said the team were not aware about the player's past. "We have chosen players from the pool available for the auction. Only those players registered with the MCA were in the auction. We wanted an all-rounder and that is why we picked him. We are not aware about what he has done in his past," he said. However, photographs accessed from the Rajwada Cricket League's Facebook page revealed that Shaikh participated in the tournament. There was a press clipping as well as an image of Shaikh receiving an award where he has been named as Wasim Khan.

Big Bista wicket
Shaikh scored 18 runs, but went wicketless in the opening match of the T20 Mumbai League against ARCS Andheri on Sunday. In the second match for North Mumbai Panthers, he claimed the wicket of Sobo Supersonics' top scorer Jay Bista (60) and conceded 38 runs in his three overs. In MCA records, Shaikh is registered with Kamath Memorial Cricket Club and National Cricket Club to play local matches.

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