MCA to get Rs 50 lakh a year to build corpus for groundsmen and electricians

A water soaking up machine goes past Indian ground staff ready to mop-up after light rain at Wankhede Stadium. Picture/AFP

While cricketers are always in the limelight, there are many who set the stage for them behind the scenes.

In a bid to acknowledge cricket's unsung heroes, a popular confectionery brand has offered the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Rs 50 lakh a year to build a corpus for the groundsmen and electricians employed by the association. The groundsmen and electricians will feature in an advertisement filmed at the Wankhede Stadium.

The firm has also proposed to provide the groundsmen a two-day stay in a hotel near the stadium and bus service during matches held at Wankhede. It will be a two-year deal if approved by the MCA Apex Council during an urgent meeting scheduled for Friday.

The other item on the agenda is to name the much-awaited Mumbai cricket museum after former MCA president Sharad Pawar, who has also headed the BCCI and ICC.