MCA president gives thumbs up to cricketers’ voting rights

Dr Vijay Patil

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) at their Special General Meeting on Friday decided to form a five-member committee headed by its president Dr Vijay Patil to look into the 45 proposed amendments to its constitution.

Amendments concerning international cricketers not continuing to have voting rights and the removal of the 70-year age limit for administrators were expected to be made on Friday, but members were reminded that an Interlocutory Application of the association is pending before the Supreme Court. These amendments were deferred items on the agenda of the 84th Annual General Meeting held last year. Thirty-two ordinary members moved these amendments.

During the SGM, Dr Patil was asked his view on the removal of voting rights for international cricketers, something that he handled with aplomb. International cricketers who had played for Mumbai exercised their vote in the MCA elections for the first time in 2019 after Supreme Court-approved Justice Lodha Committee recommendations were put into practise.

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"I have strongly advocated the retention of voting rights for our international cricketers as they have contributed enormously to the game and our association. They deserve all the respect and to be treated with dignity. As a cricket association, we need to uphold these values. The majority of our members shared the sentiment and I have urged the concerned members who moved the resolution for withdrawal of voting rights to players, to withdraw the same in the interest of cricket. All matters regarding constitutional changes have now been referred to a constitution committee," Dr Patil said.