City umpires thrilled by MCA’s finance-related gesture

Retired umpires after being felicitated by the MCA at the Wankhede Stadium lounge recently

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has shown that players are not their only priority, by introducing central contracts. That they have a heart for their umpires was quite evident during a grand felicitation organised last week.

The umpires over 65, who retired after 2017-18 season, were provided a massive one-time benefit hike with the MCA raising it from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.

Dilip Vengsarkar, the former India captain, was the guest of honour as umpires were rewarded for their "thankless job".

The thrill on their faces was palpable when they went on the dais to collect their cheques and a memento from the MCA office-bearers during a packed gathering at the MCA lounge at the Wankhede Stadium.

Vishwas Nerurkar, a BCCI first-class umpire, lauded the MCA. "It is a marvelous thing what Khodadad [Yazdegardi, MCA's Apex Council member and chairman of the umpire's committee] and his team have done. It is a significant hike. We would like to thank the MCA office-bearers for the wonderful work," Nerurkar told mid-day.com.

Kiran Anja, another Mumbai umpire on the BCCI panel, expressed his happiness too. "This is a great gesture. We can't thank them enough," said Anja, who is employed as curator with the MCA now.

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The hike was first decided to be Rs 30,000, but MCA secretary Sanjay Naik and joint secretary Shah Alam Shaikh raised it to Rs 50,000 during the umpires committee meeting.

MCA treasurer Jagdish Achrekar also agreed to raise it without any hesitation. He was made aware about umpires receiving paltry Rs 10,000 upon retirement during a conversation with a former women's cricketer.

The matter was immediately taken up in the Apex Council meeting and unanimously passed.

Former MCA umpire Sudhir Sansare is felicitated by MCA jt secretary Shah Alam Shaikh (right)

MCA umpires Satish Kurup and Sudhir Sansare were also grateful to the MCA. "It is a great thing what the MCA has done. It was quite an emotional thing. My family is also very proud as they too have sacrificed a lot since most weekends would be spent on the ground officiating in matches. Thank you, MCA," said Sansare.

Kurup said: "We are obviously quite happy with the hike. However, I would urge the MCA to think of starting a pension for the umpires. That would be a huge support."

Nerurkar said a lot can still be done for the umpires at the state and national level. "There are many initiatives that the BCCI can take for umpires. There is a lot of scope for the state associations as well, some of which I have already discussed with the authorities. Hopefully, that will materialise," said Nerurkar.