More than his heroics with the bat on the domestic circuit in 2003-04 and 2004-05 or his presence in the Indian team's squad for the Wankhede Test against Australia in November 2004
More than his heroics with the bat on the domestic circuit in 2003-04 and 2004-05 or his presence in the Indian team's squad for the Wankhede Test against Australia in November 2004, Maharashtra opening batsman Dheeraaj Jadhav is remembered for his tiff with the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) officials and his eventual move to the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL) in 2007.
But Jadhav, just like some of the other seasoned domestic cricketers, has decided to make optimum use of the BCCI's offer to reinstate all those cricketers, who leave ICL before May 31 and come back into mainstream cricket. "I have resigned from the ICL today and have applied for an NOC (No Objection Certificate). I hope to get clearance soon," Jadhav told MiD DAY yesterday.
"I will be applying to MCA tomorrow to reconsider me for all selection."
Jadhav, who also travelled to Zimbabwe for the Test series in 2005 (remembered as the beginning of the clash between Greg Chappell and Sourav Ganguly), said that the uncertainty prevailing over the ICL made him get back into the domestic fold.u00a0 "The main reason is the lack of competitive cricket. I don't think we were playing as much competitive cricket as we should have," Jadhav, who scored a double ton in Kenya for India 'A' in 2004, said.
"And after the recent developments (global meltdown and the Mumbai terror strikes, which resulted in the cancellation of ICL's World League), I was not sure whether the scenario would improve in the coming days."
But Jadhav, who shifted to Pune from Mumbai when he was 17, admitted that getting a chance to get back into the conventional set-up helped him make up his mind.
"We (ICL players) were a neglected lot for the last couple of years not just from first-class cricket but evenu00a0 inter-office cricket. So when the BCCI offered an opportunity, it was too good to resist. Ultimately, you can't replace first-class cricket with anything," Jadhav, an Air India employee, said.
Big question
However, one wonders if the Maharashtra Cricket Association, having ignored Jadhav from the state teams for a better part of his last two seasons primarily for off-the- field reasons will welcome Jadhav back into their fold.
Jadhav is optimistic though.
"Since my under-19 days, I have been representing Maharashtra in all forms of cricket. The MCA has helped me in various ways throughout my career. I hope they will be as helpful again."
With the most prolific ICL rebel from the state deciding to come back to official cricket, don't be surprised if the rest of the six ICL players from Maharashtra follow the suit.
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