BCA may rope in Munaf for training

Vadodara: Former India cricketer, Munaf Patel may soon coach youngsters at Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). Patel, who retired from all forms of cricket last year, has expressed his desire to work with the BCA.
Managing committee of the association took up Patel’s request on Saturday and has decided to rope him in.

“We will be meeting him soon to decide on the role he is looking for. BCA would like to give him an assignment that he is keen to take up. Having played international cricket, Patel has a good experience that could be utilized for betterment of cricket in the city,” Snehal Parikh, BCA secretary (in-charge).

Patel had played a key role in India’s World Cup victory in 2011 as he was third highest wicket-taker in the tournament.

Patel, who used to play in Baroda Ranji team, has played 13 tests and 70 one-day internationals (ODIs) in his five-year international career that began in 2006. He has bagged 35 wickets in test matches and 86 in ODIs. BCA may ask Patel to coach the young cricketers or produce quality pace bowlers.

Meanwhile, there was high drama in the managing committee that met on Saturday after Parikh offered to resign from the committee. “There were doubts raised over my connection with an agency that had handled women’s ODIs organized in the city last year. I made it clear that the agency is in vendor’s list of the BCCI and it doesn’t do business with the BCA now. There is no conflict of interest,” Parikh told TOI.

“The managing committee members decided that there was no conflict of interest in this case,” Parikh said.

The managing committee also co-opted three more members, Sheetal Mehta, Minesh Patel and Ajit Patel. “The number of managing committee members had dropped from 24 to 12 as some members retired and some had to quit due to Lodha committee reforms. We co-opted three new members to ensure that our work continues smoothly. BCA can take such decisions to ensure that its day-to-day work doesn’t get affected,” Parikh added.

A BCA official, however, said that adding more members to the managing committee that is already in question after Lodha reforms is not right. The controversy over not releasing prize money won by former India keeper, Kiran More’s club team also came to an end. “The managing committee approved to give prize money More wrote to the BCA stating that he runs both the clubs that are in his name,” Parikh said.