Raju Kulkarni back in CIC with Lalchand Rajput, Sameer Dighe

Raju Kulkarni

The all-important Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) was finally appointed on Friday.

Lalchand Rajput, India's 2007 T20 World Cup-winning coach, ex-pacer Raju Kulkarni, and former India wicketkeeper-batsman Sameer Dighe were finalised by the Apex Council. "We have finalised the CIC members. After checking their eligibility criteria [as per the constitution] and conflict of interest declaration, we will appoint them," said MCA secretary Sanjay Naik.

The CIC will appoint the coaches, selectors and support staff for the Mumbai teams. The 41-time Ranji Trophy champions failed qualify for the knockout round in the last two seasons. While Rajput and Dighe, both former Mumbai coaches, will be new to the CIC, Kulkarni has been a part of the set up for the last two seasons. Earlier, he resigned from the CIC under the chairmanship of Dilip Vengsarkar.

"I have not got any official intimation from the MCA as yet. My intention has always been to give something back to Mumbai cricket. I gave my consent to the MCA only a couple of days back after I came to know the scope of CIC under the new constitution. The MCA is very positive about cricket and I felt I should be a part of it. That's the only reason I would like to come back to the CIC," Kulkarni told mid-day. In May last year, there existed an ad hoc committee and Kulkarni had resigned after certain candidates for the selection panel, who were not even discussed in the meeting, got finalised without his consent.

Kulkarni was the CIC chief when Ajit Agarkar's senior selection panel had little option but to resign. Despite the CIC fully backing Agarkar & Co, several committee members stepped down in protest. Kulkarni resigned at end of the season. Meanwhile, regarding the software purchased by the earlier regime, it is understood that the contract documents will be made available to those raising objections about the software's cost and utility. The renewal of software contracts has been kept on hold. On the administrative front, MCA chief executive CS Naik, whose contract ends in October, will serve as executive secretary as decided by the Apex Council.

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